GRTU complains of migrants' employment 'chaos'
The GRTU has written to the government calling for regularisation of the current “chaotic” employment system.
It said a number of its members from the construction, repair, and especially from the waste sectors “depend” on the employment of migrants.
Employers go to Marsa early in the morning, pick up the number of migrants they need and pay each individual migrant cash plus provision of food and drink. The migrants often object to the standard rate and refuse to work, whereupon the employer goes back to Marsa for another group of workers, the GRTU said.
“The present system is causing unnecessary pressure on employers as they do not have the necessary cash to pay on a daily basis for employment service which effectively avails all other legal implications, most of all, the payment of social contributions,” the GRTU said.
“The current system also discriminates against Maltese workers. Maltese workers are paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and receive no additional subsistence while the migrant worker gets subsistence, loggings and daily food and is paid cash on a daily basis.”
The chamber said it had proposed a system that removed the ugly and unacceptable daily scenes at Marsa and elsewhere where migrants congregate to seek employment.
The proposed system is based on a temporarily casual work relationship and on effectively sustaining businesses who need a regular flow of workers, though not necessarily the same individuals, to meet their obligations under contract, the GRTU said.
This would effectively remove the uncertainties that existed, both fiscal and security wise, and in terms of labour laws, the chamber said.
It would also regularise the issue of social contributions paid by migrants.
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R.Gauci
Jun 18th 2008, 00:05
Did I understood well? What about the Law that says that people coming from abroad should have a valid work permit to work in Malta even for EU citizens and this had to be issued only if a job couldn't be done by a Maltese . As far as I remember that was discussed when joining the EU to avoid that Maltese people couldn't find a job and Malta got a derogate! So its clear that the law is being break as GRTU admitted! Where are the authorities in this Country? Everyone is sleeping! Discrimination is clearly being made against first Maltese workers which have to pay all Taxes and contributions and secondly to other foreign workers which need a work permit!! Is it possible that some of the jobs that the GRTU is talking about can't be done by unemployed Maltese ?This is clearly a case of modern slavery these imigrants are sure being paid peanuts to be also given food and accomodation! How can the wages go up in Malta and be a better standard of living? Where is the ETC ? Its true that Law statue is Blind but in Malta is also dumb!
Angelo Vassallo
Jun 17th 2008, 20:39
How dare the GRTU speak about these people. GRTU shame on you. It is so easy these days that the Maltese workers find employerswho are members of the GRTU who hire them on the black economy, imagine how much easier to hire the refugees.
I suppose you know that these people are being abused by your members. What the GRTU does not tell us is what kind of payment (HA.HA.HA.) are these people receiving, what kind of food (Ha.Ha.Ha.) they are given. Are the GRTU's members paying them at least the minimum wages?
Are these employers paying their part of National Insurance and the employees their share? Are these employers deducting tax from these people earnings? Of course they are doing nothing of this sort. They just abuse these vulnerable people nothing else.
These employers are hiring people as they used to do 2000 years ago, when in those days, the owners of huge plantations, used to go to the city square to be hired for a day or an afternoon, as the gospel tells us.
Charles Camilleri
Jun 17th 2008, 19:46
Funny is it? The GRTU whimpering about its members employing illegal foreign workers. I wonder how the GRTU would react if the authorities would crack down on these employers.
g.c.forte
Jun 17th 2008, 19:02
goodmorning.........is anybody there? about ####### time to speak
Raymond Sammut
Jun 17th 2008, 19:00
For Maltese people living in Marsa, "chaos" is not the word, but fear. When you visit them, the first thing they say to you: "Close that door. Mela ma taf'x x'haw?" And here we see the GRTU, with tongue in cheek, effectively lobbying for employers indulging in what could be illegal employment. Just how low can we go? What is the Church reporting to the Vatican on this issue? Forget about Dr Gonzi. This issue has very much finished off his political career. The next is Dr Muscat. What is this guy doing about this issue?
Noel Cutajar
Jun 17th 2008, 18:37
I cannot not laugh at this situation...the employers who want to regularize the migrants position...I have seen those employers seeking these workers...they dump them on a pick up and take them to the work place. Who is abusing him? If they want to regularize the system and talk about fairness, so why not employ the Maltese rather than speak about this situation which after all was created by them. Norman Lowell was called crazy but he has more sight than many of our politicians when it comes to these conditions.
Joseph Zammit
Jun 17th 2008, 18:25
Is this not an illegal employment? I think its about time that ETC makes some inspection at Marsa and sees who is illgally hireing employees. Also not to mention the many of of them who are now working as painters / plasteres among other without contributing anything back to our economy. Are these Immigrants above the VAT and taxation law? Are they obliged to have a private health insurance like the other foreigners working legaly in our country?
Its a total chaos in this place!