Wasteserv facility infested with rats, lack of health and safety measures – workers

Workers at the Wasteserv facility plant in Marsaskala have complained of a rat-infested site and having to work with no protective clothing to the detriment of their own health.

Speaking during a meeting with Environment Minister Leo Brincat, the workers said that through sorting of waste - collected in the grey bags - they frequently found dead animals including rats.

The workers said the air conditioning unit was not working and their were no fire extinguishes or fire exits in the area they worked.

Wasteserv employs some 420 workers, 310 of which are subcontracted through JF Solutions. These workers asked Brincat about their situation, and asked whether their collective agreement would reflect the same conditions as those workers employed directly by government.

Brincat however said that while the government would look into the matter and ensure that a fair deal is reached for everyone, including the workers and the contractor, yet the agreement with the contractor will be honoured.

"But before I make any commitment I must first get the full picture of the situation. We must also see what type of agreement was reached with the contractor, its terms of reference and obligations," he said.

Brincat was also told that complaints regarding the plant's incinerator could not be solved by the technical team, because the incinerator itself had "design defects".

The environment minister said that while in the past he never held back from criticising Wasteserv this didn't mean that there would be any layoffs. "We will respect the contract of every worker. You are working in a sector which is relatively new for the country.

"Wasteserv has an important function to play. Waste is a costly resource and we must therefore look at what best practices other countries employ and which we could make use of," he said.

Brincat said his challenge was to see that Wasteserv reaches its goals while keeping in mind and following the recommendations made by the Auditor General.