Gozo Ferry Delays Cause Chaos As Workers Protest Months Of Unpaid Allowances
Commuters between Malta and Gozo are facing growing frustration as Gozo Channel workers hired by private contractors enforce union directives over months of unpaid allowances the government has yet to settle.
After loading all cars and passengers, the ramp is closed and the mooring men wait five minutes before casting off and letting the ferry depart, a small delay that quickly adds up during rush hours as reported by Times of Malta.
The action, ordered by the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UHM), is in protest over unpaid allowances, which the government has repeatedly promised to settle.
The short delays have caused long queues at both the Mġarr and Ċirkewwa ports, frustrating residents who rely on the service to get to work and back home. Several stated they now have to leave home earlier, spend more time waiting and travelling, and return later at night.
Għajnsielem mayor Kevin Cauchi highlighted the scale of the disruption: “The queues sometimes stretch all the way to the heart of the village. The number of cars is comparable to that seen on busy Sunday nights, when holidaymakers return to Malta from a weekend in Gozo.”
Meanwhile, Gozo Channel said it supports workers receiving their dues and promised to settle any outstanding payments by the end of the week.
At the heart of the dispute is a breach of the equal pay for equal work directive, where contracted workers are paid less than government employees despite performing the same job.
UĦM CEO Josef Vella explained: “While the basic pay has been matched, government workers still receive a night shift allowance, among other allowances, that their contracted counterparts do not.”
According to the union, each contracted worker at Gozo Channel is owed over €1,000 in night shift allowances since January, and cafeteria attendants, cleaners, and security officers are owed similar sums.
Mayor Cauchi stressed the impact on residents: “The situation is untenable for residents who depend on the ferry for their livelihood.”
The Gozo Business Chamber also released a statement, saying: “Many a time we tend to forget that for us Gozitans this is an essential service, a service upon which we depend to work.” While supporting workers’ rights, they urged all parties to “sit around the table and resolve immediately the present issues.”
Vella added that the pay disparity isn’t limited to Gozo Channel. “Thousands of workers are waiting for payments and millions of euros are owed,” he said, noting that some 15,000 contractors across the public sector, including MCAST, courts, the University, and hospitals, are affected.
Cleaners in education and courts are owed over €1,000, hospital cleaners between €1,800 and €2,700, and carers face the largest arrears of €5,500–€8,900 each this year.
During last week’s budget speech, the prime minister renewed the commitment, promising workers would start being paid at par with government staff and receive a total of €35 million in arrears by the end of the year.
Gozo Channel chair Joe Cordina confirmed: “Gozo Channel has no issues in this regard. In cases where identified, Gozo Channel have assured the UĦM that these will be reviewed and settled promptly by the end of this week.”
He also stressed that the situation extends across the public sector: “Gozo Channel may be receiving more attention as any action here would have a wider impact.”
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