Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1514242
15 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 JANUARY 2024 BANK of Valletta has hosted its long-anticipated event for the children of its employees. Following last year's success, children aged 3 to 12 years were invited to at- tend the Magical Illuminated Trail and Christmas Vil- lage, hosted at the Verdala Palace. The BOV Children's event is a tradition that goes back several decades and is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Christmas season. This year's choice of event was even more magical because children could experience it exclusively with their parent/s. In addition, to add a bit more magic to the event, all children received a gift voucher from the Bank. The Magic Illuminated Trail featured spectacular light shows, music and food stalls. Children were wel- comed by the organisers dressed up as Santa's elves in a truly festive atmosphere. The whole event turned into an impromptu BOV family affair, as colleagues met colleagues, while children played and ran about. This was not the only activity organised for BOV children this festive season, as earlier on, BOV chil- dren were invited to attend the Great Little Panto, a Toi Toi spectacle at Teatru Manoel. This event was made possible thanks to the Bank's long-standing support of the Teatru Manoel and its Toi Toi pro- gram. Speaking about these events, Charles Azzopardi who heads the CSR Team responsible for the organi- sation, said, "Such events enable us to create a unique experience for our people and their families. For us, as an organisation that believes in the importance of work-life balance, watching our people turn up in their hundreds with their little ones and enjoy the magical atmosphere, makes all the hard work worth it for everyone involved." BOV families experience Christmas wonder at the Illuminated Trail MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt KUNSILL Studenti Universi- tarji (KSU) have urged govern- ment and the Union Ħaddie- ma Magħqudin to consider the long-term implications of on- going directives affecting the administrative, technical and industrial staff at the University of Malta. In a statement on Tuesday, KSU stated the current direc- tives have raised alarm over the potential ramifications on stu- dents, especially as the January Assessment period approaches. As from 5 January, a set of di- rectives towards the adminis- trative, technical and industrial staff at the University of Malta were being told not to use com- munication devices across the university site. These measures were implemented after prob- lems arose during collective agreement negotiations. "While we acknowledge and respect the decisions made by the UĦM, it is crucial to high- light the collective sentiment among the student community regarding the challenges that exist. We firmly believe that a conducive working environ- ment for University staff direct- ly translates into an enriched educational experience for us, the students," KSU said. The student group noted that a collective agreement for uni- versity staff should have been in place as early as December 2021, noting that the absence of such an agreement has un- derstandably led to frustra- tion and discontent among the staff. This frustration ac- cording to KSU, "inevitably trickles down to impact the overall learning experience for students." KSU highlighted that the pri- mary stakeholders adversely af- fected, students, are not directly involved in the decision-mak- ing process of the collective agreement, yet find themselves caught in the crossfire. "We have received a lot of feedback from students about how these directives are affect- ing their lectures, practicals and assignments and it is simply unacceptable to jeopardise the educational well-being of stu- dents," KSU said. KSU urged all stakeholders to consider the conclusion to these negotiations as an utmost priority. KSU urges government and UHM to consider industrial actions' effects on students