Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/926403
maltatoday SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 2018 News CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The online consultation, seen by MaltaToday, had suggested that as a result of the new agreement educators would see their salary and allowances increase by 28% at the end of the five-year period. However, it transpires that the numbers published in the sectoral agreement do not tally with the increases educators voted on. "It is true that we will see better incomes but this is a far cry from what we were led to believe and to top it all, everyone now is under the impression that we received substantial increases," an irate teacher told this newspaper. It appears the union included in its calculations, adjustments to salaries that educators were going to benefit from just the same as part of the public service collec- tive agreement concluded in April 2017. Questions sent to the Education Ministry several days ago about the financial aspects of the secto- ral agreement concluded with the MUT have remained unanswered. The agreement increased the existing class allowance and in- troduced a new work resources allowance for all teaching grades. However, an exercise carried out by this newspaper shows that the new allowance structure repre- sents a 12% increase over the 2017 pay packet for teachers at the low- er end of scale 9. Learning support assistants and kindergarten assis- tants starting at scale 15 will get a similar increase by the end of the five years. The increase would equate to 11% for learning support assis- tants and kindergarten assistants at the lower end of scale 12. However, the increase is sub- stantially higher in the upper grades with a teacher in scale 7 with 20 years' experience receiv- ing a 22% increase at the end of the five years. Educators were going out on a one-day strike last November af- ter talks on the sectoral agreement stalled. The industrial action was called off when it transpired the government was ready to meet the MUT's demand for a 20% increase in income for educators. It was never specified at the time that the union's demands includ- ed increases already in force as a result of the public service collec- tive agreement. Triton Fountain restoration: facts and figures On Friday, the Prime Minister inaugurated the newly restored Triton Fountain, which is part of a wider project that will see the square just outside Valletta embellished ahead of the start of the V18 celebrations. The project is expected to cost €8.5 million, roughly half of which was spent on the fountain's restoration. The fountain was conceived under the Borg Olivier-Boffa administration before 1955 with works continuing under Mintoff, coming to an abrupt end in 1958. It was eventually completed in 1959. 3,100m 3 of concrete used 2,100m in water and drainage pipes 1,500m of lighting tubes 3,000m of telecommunications wires 2,000m of pipes to irrigate 52 Evergreen Oak trees planted in the square 21 reservoirs with a combined capacity of 1000m 3 13,500m 2 of Gozitan upper coralline limestone Teachers agreement included increases already in force