ST Microelectronics workers hold one hour stoppage over austerity measures

Workers at ST Microelectronics held a one hour stoppage this morning at 6 am to protest over the company's insistence on keeping austerity measures in place. The workers insist that these measures are being kept in place despite the improvement of its financial situation.

The measures were introduced in 2010, when the company, which is Malta’s biggest exporter, and employs some 1,600 workers, was going through financial difficulties and they include a reduction in pay packets. The latter was meant to allow time for the company to recover.

The General Workers' Union warned of industrial action last week, after talks on a new collective agreement fell through. It said several meetings had been held, but that the company was insisting that austerity measures which should have ended in 2012 should remain in place.

GWU added that the company was coming up with all sorts of reasons to avoid a new collective agreement and that the company had even refused to honour the collective agreement which was in place prior to the introduction of the measures.