Collective Agreement Between Government & MUT Reached

May 24 2024

The government and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) have officially reached an agreement following various negotiations.

The MUT can officially approach its respective members and offer up the new agreement for approval.

Taking to social media, Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomed the conclusion of the new collective agreement negotiations with MUT.

‘Kudos to Minister Grima & all the dedicated civil servants involved. This will mark a significant & unprecedented investment in our children’s education and the future of our islands.’

This follows various directives issued by the MUT, which saw exam results, assignments and other scholastic matters be postponed, prompting student protests in various establishments.

#MaltaDaily

Roberta Metsola Meets Locals At Is-Serkin ‘Establishment’

May 24 2024

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola shared a photo on social media as she met locals over a few pastizzi and tea at is-Serkin in Rabat.

And she did not pass up the opportunity to pass a little jab at Prime Minister Robert Abela in the comments, writing:

‘Note to the Prime Minister: he can stop looking, there are few better establishments than is-Serkin for some pastizzi.’

The big question is, what did Metsola go for? Piżelli or Ricotta?

#MaltaDaily

Maltese Men Live Longest In The EU

May 24 2024

According to new data, Maltese men have the highest life expectancies at birth – estimated to be around 81.8 in terms of age.

This was was followed by Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden (all at 81.7), whereas Latvia and Bulgaria registered the lowest expectancies at 70.8 and 72.0 respectively.

Data for 2023 show that in the EU, life expectancy at birth for women was 84.2 years compared to 78.9 years for men, a difference of 5.3 years. This trend was consistent across all EU countries.

The largest differences were in Latvia (10.0 years; women 80.8 and men 70.8) and Lithuania (9.2 years; women 81.7 and men 72.5). The smallest differences were in the Netherlands (2.9 years; women 83.4 and men 80.5) and Sweden (3.3 years; women 85.0 and men 81.7).

Compared to 20 years earlier, the gender gap in life expectancy at birth in the EU was 6.4 years in 2003 (women 80.8 and men 74.4), which is 1.1 years more than in 2023. In 2003, the highest differences were in Lithuania (11.3 years; women 77.7 and men 66.4) and Estonia (10.8 years; women 77.2 and men 66.4), while the lowest were in Cyprus (4.4 years; women 81.2 and men 76.8) and Malta (4.4 years; women 80.8 and men 76.4).

Between 2003 and 2023, the gender gap in life expectancy at birth decreased in 25 EU countries, with the biggest decreases in Luxembourg (−2.6 years; from 6.0 to 3.4) and Lithuania (−2.1 years; from 11.3 to 9.2).

The only increases were in Bulgaria (0.6 years; from 7.0 to 7.6) and Romania (0.2 years; from 7.4 to 7.6).

#MaltaDaily

Unemployment Up By 236 In April 2024 Compared To 2023

May 24 2024

In April 2024, the number of individuals registering for work reached 1,202, an increase of 236 compared to April 2023. Jobsplus data for April 2024 shows a year-on-year increase of 203 individuals in Part I and 33 in Part II of the unemployment register.

Most age groups experienced a rise in registered unemployment levels. Males comprised 68.8% of the total registrants, while females made up 31.2%.

There were year-on-year increases of 224 individuals registering for work for less than 21 weeks and 18 individuals for 21 to 52 weeks. However, those registering for over a year decreased by six.

In April 2024, the number of individuals with disabilities registering for work rose by 12 compared to the previous year, totaling 245, with males accounting for 80.0% of this group.

The largest share of unemployed individuals, both male and female, sought positions as Clerical support workers, representing 24.3% of males and 36.0% of females.

#MaltaDaily

Source: NSO