Maltese most satisfied with working conditions

The Proportion of women in employment in Malta is the lowest among all the EU member states and acceding countries, according to a new report on working conditions.

The report, prepared by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, said the average participation rate was 46 per cent in acceding and candidate countries and 42 per cent in the EU member states. The proportion of women in employment in Malta was 30 per cent.

Malta also has the lowest rate of women in supervisory positions, 13 per cent, compared to other countries like Estonia, with 33 per cent, and Latvia, with 30 per cent.

However, the overall conditions of work in Malta are indeed positive. The report shows that 81 per cent of Maltese workers - the highest among EU acceding and member states - are satisfied with their working conditions.

On whether they suffer from fatigue at the workplace, the report says that the Maltese workers (only 20 per cent) are the least who suffer from fatigue. The average level of fatigue in the acceding and candidate countries is 41 per cent and 23 per cent in the European Union member states.

The Maltese workers, along with the Romanians, have reported the least level of work-related stress. Only 17 per cent of the Maltese workforce claimed they were suffering from work-related stress.

The report also shows that Maltese workers are the least among the EU member states and acceding countries who complained that their work was monotonous - only 24 per cent.

The average percentage of workers claiming they perform monotonous work in the acceding and candidate countries amounts to 42 per cent and 40 per cent in the EU member states. The highest percentage was recorded in Bulgaria, with 52 per cent, and Estonia, with 55 per cent.

Malta also has the highest rate of employees claiming they have control over their tasks (93 per cent). Also 90 per cent of Maltese workers - the highest recorded - said they have control over their rate or speed of work.

The influence of colleagues on the pace of work (42 per cent in the acceding countries and 43 per cent in member states) is highest in Malta (60 per cent) and lowest in Poland (33 per cent).

Maltese workers also reported that they have the least complex tasks (38 per cent) compared with a 55 per cent average in acceding and candidate countries and 57 per cent in the EU.

The highest percentage of workers who have reported they had to perform complex tasks are the Hungarians (76 per cent) and the Bulgarians (65 per cent).

The average number of working hours per week in Malta is 40.4 hours. However, self-employed people without employees said they work around 45 hours a week and self-employed with employees said they work 50 hours a week.

Maltese employees said they work 39.3 hours a week, and of these, the females work 35 hours a week.

Malta and Romania also have the highest proportion of people claiming they work either alone or in 'micro-enterprises'.