Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/712794
MIRIAM DALLI A complete overhaul of the Domestic Violence Act will be presented to parliament before the end of the year, ensuring stricter punishment and harsh- er penalties to those found guilty under the new law. Amendments to the Domes- tic Violence Act, which is set to become the 'Gender-based Violence and Domestic Vio- lence Act', are based on the Istanbul Convention on pre- venting and combating vio- lence against women, and do- mestic violence. Rape will also be redefined, changing the current defini- tion which, in the eyes of the law, is limited only to penile penetration. Domestic violence, as a crime against an individual irrespec- tive of sex or gender, is mostly perpetrated against women. Following the brutal killing of 33-year-old Eleanor Mangion Walker, the latest victim of femicide, protestors marched through Valletta calling for an end to domestic violence. A ground-breaking survey by the European Union's Funda- mental Rights Agency (FRS) found that one in seven Mal- tese women have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15. MATTHEW VELLA AN agreement with Alitalia, the Italian national airline, to acquire a 49% minor- ity stake in the Maltese national airline is hinging on guarantees that will improve productivity from Air Malta's pilots, this newspaper has been told. And in the crosshairs of negotiators, is a handsome 'perk ' that costs the airline tens of thousands of euros during peak months if just one day of leave is reduced when more pilots are needed. It is part of a pilots' collective agreement where Air Malta ends up paying €750 to each of its 118 pilots if just one day of leave is struck off when there are not enough pilots to f ly planes during busy months. It can cost up to €82,000 in one peak month alone. Air Malta allots seven days of leave for every four-month period to each of the pi- lots. Apart from 26 days of annual leave, pilots get a statutory 'day off ' of 38 hours' rest after f lying: that means that on aver- age, pilots f ly some 56 hours a month, far less than European counterparts. Airline management says they should f ly at least 75 hours a month. But when a substantial number of pilots request their leave during a peak summer month, like September, Air Malta can be forced to strike off a day of leave to keep up with the busy workload: the penalty for that is €750 paid to each each pilot on that month's work roster, which works out at €250 daily for three days, in lieu of the can- celled leave day. Newspaper post PAGE 6 SUNDAY • 17 JULY 2016 • ISSUE 871 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY SUNDAY • 17 JULY 2016 • ISSUE 871 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT ASTRID VELLA Pilots' €750 'bonus' for cancelled leave day costing Air Malta thousands Domestic violence overhaul widens definition of rape INTERVIEW ASTRID VELLA €1.40 'People no longer believe the economy depends on development. It has finally been debunked' How prosecution failed to pin lover on money laundering charge TURKISH BLIGHT 14 15 4 The gangster on the dole SUNDAY • 17 JULY 2016 • ISSUE 871 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY today today • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY today • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Domestic violence PAGE 3 JOURNEY INTO THE DEAD ZONE Miriam Dalli witnessed the rescue of asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean aboard the Migrant Offshore Aid Station's rescue vessel PAGES 16-17 An unconscious man is given first aid by Emergency NGO staff aboard a MOAS rescue vessel PHOTO: Miriam Dalli 2 3 From the eyes of the Turks amongst us, a fear of a stronger Erdogan