[SLIDESHOW] Army, police and civil protection to get right to join unions

Home affairs minister Manuel Mallia said that the electorial pledge, which proposed that Armed Forces of Malta, Police Force and Civil Protection Department personnel could join the trade union of their choice, has been approved by the Cabinet and will be presented in Parliament in the coming weeks.

During a meeting at the AFM's Maritime Base in Hay Wharf, Floriana, today, Mallia congratulated the members of the army for their humanitarian work and expressed his gratitude for their continued compassion towards migrants, with whom they work on a daily basis.

Brigadier Martin Xuereb gave a speech at the event, which inaugurated an EU co-financed project, which helped increased the surveillance capacity of AFM's two Protector Class patrol boats.

The project, he said, also includes the purchase of two Rigid Hull inflatable boats, which were designed and built to be used on the Protectors, as well as a communications system which will allow the boats to make contact with the mother ship.

The purchases, which also include two electro-optical/infra-red cameras and three multiband radios.

The complete investment will amount to €1.7 million, €1.4 million of which will be provided by the EU and will also see the army working on improving its infrastructure.

Xuereb reference to wise past investments by the AFM, which had included a new hangar, two new planes for maritime surveillance, and three Fast Interceptor Boats, complemented by three towing vehicles.

He also mentioned the Forces' new twin-engined helicopter and the restoration of an old RAF hangar at Luqa Airport, citing then as two large projects which the AFM will be working on in the coming months.

Xuereb thanked RLR Ltd, Selex and Hawk Aerospace and logistics project officers for their help with the project.

"Today's event is another link in a chain which started to be forged years ago and will continue to be strengthened in the future," he said.

Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds, Ian Borg, said this project was an example of the best use of EU funds being accessed and secured in a timely manner for national interests.