Part-timers granted new benefits

Unpublicised amendments to a legal notice, published a few weeks ago in the government gazette, have granted new employment benefits to part-time workers as from the beginning of this month.

Thousands of part-timers working a minimum of eight hours a week will now be entitled to pro rata benefits such as paid vacation and sick leave and bonuses.

The amendments, introduced by the government following pressure by the European Commission, are being described in trade union circles as a breakthrough.

Before these amendments entered into force, on July 1, part-time workers were not entitled to any employment benefits if not working on a minimum 20-hour weekly contract. This had led to an unwritten code of abuse by some employers offering part-time workers contracts of just 19 hours a week in order to bypass the need to grant them any benefits.

Gejtu Tanti, president of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM), said yesterday when contacted that his union had received hundreds of reports of such abuse, although he admitted that "employers were not acting illegally as the law specifically included a 20-hour threshold". However, he said that following pressure by his union, including at EU level, the government has now decided to lower the minimum threshold to eight hours a week.

"This is a great victory for part-time workers. They are now being given what they deserve and are at par with their EU counterparts," he said.

Labour MEP Joseph Muscat was also exerting pressure on the government to come in line with EU law.

Responding to a parliamentary question submitted by Mr Muscat last week, Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla insisted that Malta had to change its laws as they were in breach of EU directives. The alternative was to face legal proceedings.

"The Commission considers that these regulations (Malta's) restrict the scope of application of the general principle of non-discrimination of part-time employees in such a way as to potentially limit or prevent the achievement of the purposes set out in the Framework Agreement."

"The Commission therefore takes the view that the Republic of Malta has failed to comply with its obligations," Mr Spidla told Mr Muscat.

Last March, the Commission had also delivered a reasoned opinion to the Maltese authorities, the second stage of its legal proceedings, inviting Malta to take the necessary measures in order to comply with its obligations arising from the rules.

Through the publication of legal notice 164, the government has now brought Malta's legislation in line with that of the EU.