Attard Montalto explains stand on opt-out clause

Socialist MEP John Attard Montalto insisted yesterday he was in favour of the working time opt-out clause, even if the record shows he abstained in a vote on a European Parliament resolution limiting the amount of overtime an employee can work and dropping the opt-out clause on overtime.

In a first reading vote last week, the Parliament backed plans to ditch exemptions (the opt-out clause) from EU rules on working time, which limit to 48 the number of hours a worker can work in a week.

Dr Attard Montalto took the opportunity of a press conference at the Federation of Industry offices, in Floriana, on the matter to clarify his stand.

FOI officials commented on the former minister's views on employment practices, before the press was asked to leave in order for the meeting to continue in private. Dr Attard Montalto explained that he had in fact voted for the opt-out clause to remain in force, urging journalists to check their facts properly before reporting he had abstained.

"Do you think I'm going to vote against the wishes of the workers? I believe every country should have the right to choose as it pleases and this is what I did."

The roll-call of votes on the working time issue shows that Dr Attard Montalto voted against amendment seven which states: "The opt-out provision should be abolished as soon as possible since it is in flagrant contradiction to the objective of the directive and with the fundamental principles of the protection of health and safety".

He then abstained on amendment 20, which lays down that article 22 should be repealed 36 months after the entry into force of this directive. Article 22 establishes the conditions to be met by member states that make use of the possibility not to apply the maximum weekly working time.

On the final vote on the resolution itself, Dr Attard Montalto also abstained, in contrast to the other four Maltese MEPs.

When contacted by The Times last Wednesday, a spokesman for Dr Attard Montalto had explained that he decided to vote against the amendment to scrap the opt-out clause but abstained on the vote taken on the resolution proper.

Following last week's vote, the Socialist MEPs, who voted against the wishes of their group, issued a short explanatory statement declaring they had voted to retain the opt-out clause in the interest of the Maltese workers and given the national circumstances of the economy.

Dr Attard Montalto explained that those that were in favour of the working time directive wanted to reduce the risk of working excessive hours and to encourage workers to spend quality time with their families. Many also argued that such a directive would create more jobs in Eastern Europe.

Dr Attard Montalto, whose vote irked the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises, among others, said there were in fact other amendments within the working time directive which actually favoured employees.

"There are some issues which need to be discussed at length and that's why I abstained from the final vote," he said.

Speaking after the vote last week, Dr Attard Montalto had said that in view of the fact that the working time directive was being especially pushed by his parliamentary group, the Party of European Socialists, he chose to abstain from the vote as this was the most prudent thing to do.

He argued that once the vote was clearly in favour of removing the opt-out clause, his vote would not have made any difference and so "the judicious way out was by abstaining".

FOI president Adrian Bajada warned that Malta's competitiveness would suffer if the opt-out clause were scrapped.

Apart from the economic aspect, there would also be social repercussions, Mr Bajada warned. Should certain workers be stopped from working overtime, they would have no choice but to try and seek part-time work in order to maintain their standard of living, he said.

Last week's vote was only the beginning of a process as the new working time directive needs also the backing of the majority of member states. Malta is forming part of a blocking majority at Council level, including large countries such as the UK and Germany, that also prefer opt-outs.