Political party Volt has proposed introducing ‘Hazard Pay’ for all healthcare workers as the country progresses through the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Volt believes that healthcare workers who have helped sustain the healthcare system through all the waves experienced thus far have not been shown enough appreciation’ the party stated. 

Co-President of Volt Alexia DeBono said that it is well-known that there is a shortage of healthcare workers on the island. In spite of that, she said, they did a remarkable job since before there was the vaccine and throughout each variant which reaches our shores. Volt is now proposing a hazard pay rise for healthcare workers in 3 ways. For those who have been working for 1-12 months during the pandemic, a supplement of 5% on their salary is given. 

For those who have been working more than 12 months, that supplement goes up to 10% until the end of the pandemic, the party said. Kassandra Mallia, Candidate and Vice-President of Volt Malta said that ‘we must also acknowledge not just their current work, but also past work.’

‘Therefore, we are also proposing that healthcare workers who have already been working during the pandemic, will receive a grant based on the same calculation starting from March 2020. So if they have worked for 2 years during the pandemic, the healthcare workers would receive a grant equivalent to 5% of their income of the first 12 months, and then 10% of their income of the following month.’ 

Arnas Lasys, Co-President of Volt Malta, added that this would also be given to students who in the final year of their medical degree were called up to with the pandemic. 

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Photo Source: Volt Communications