Thursday, 21st August 2008 - 11:26CET
Maltese minimum wage ranks 12th in EU
The national minimum wage in Malta has ranked 12th lowest in a comparative table of 20 EU countries drawn up by the European Industrial Relations Observatory.
Malta’s monthly minimum wage for adults - at €601.90, was higher last year than in Slovenia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria.
It was lower than in Greece, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Luxembourg.
Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Cyprus and Austria were not included in the study.
The monthly minimum wage was highest in Luxembourg (€1,570.28), followed by Ireland (€1,499.33) and the UK (€1,398.80). The lowest was in Bulgaria (€92.03), followed by Romania (€131.92) and Latvia (€171.40).
The rates given for Luxembourg were for unqualified workers. Qualified workers received a 20 per cent higher wage.
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There is of course other data to consider : Minimum Wage Euro/Month (Malta 580 Netherland 1273) and so much more . Labour costs Euro/Hr (Malta 7.44 Netherland29.52).
Re Expenditure on Social Protection, per capita (Malta 2,879 Netherland 7605) This all goes to prove that there is more to contrast than to compare and that all in all you`re surely better off ! Still we appreciate your interest in the welfare of our society
Question: Is the Basic wage in Malta on the same level of the cost of living??
Answer: No
I made a challenge to prove that no one accepted it!!
@Angie Sciberras- I realy appreciate what you are saying cause I too moved to ROI - cheers
I think something has to be done by the Government regarding this issue. Many employers in Malta "suck the blood" of their workers for years giving them the minimum wage and then when they are justly asked for a wage increase most probably will mean that is the time for them to fire their employees for daring to ask for it.
I think it is time for the minimum wage to be divided in different strata, the more an employee has been working with a company or person the more his minimum wage will increase. I think it is humiliating for any worker to keep a job for twenty years and still be on the minimum wage, this situation is very common here in Malta unluckily.
You may visit http://www.bulldognews.net/cave-parable.html to understand what I am saying.
For an interpretation of the text you may go directly to the end of the text to comprehend what is being said. Have a nice Evening and Enjoy!
@Angie, you like me have had been enlightened. Good luck with your new life, and I sincerely mean it.
C.Zammit so Maltese children are the most pampered in the EU or is it the world? And they also have everything they wish for? You sure look at your world with rose tinted glasses.
I lived in Malta I know what its like. Sure the night life is good but that will not put food on the table or clothes on your children's back. And I wasnt even on minimum wage. So I can only imagine the stress those families living on €601.90 go through.
And I dont think they re the ones livin in nice houses and buying flashy cars at 18. If they do have a car it would on average be about thirty years old.
The ROI is a fantastic country and she has made a home there for her family, there are of course Irish people who prefer to live in Malta, I have a lot of Irish friends who have moved here. When I was 19, I felt that I wanted to travel and work away, after 11 years, I moved back and really enjoying it so far. It's a personal choice though, we can never agree where the best place to live in is.
Australians: 5% of the country's population of 20 million are living overseas at any one time, and 20% of that diaspora is in London. Many go for work and stay for a few years, but many other put down permanent roots. On the other hand, according to a study done in 2006, there are more than 5.5 million British living abroad and Oz is their favourite destination.
Yes, St Vincent De Paule is nice for the elderly...If only the waiting list didnt make it impossible to get in except for the lucky few. For the majority who do not, it means selling the family house and hoping that one's life's savings will cover it, same as in Uk.
I have been living in Paris for about 26 years and in The Netherlands for about 10 years. I don't think that life in Malta is expensive if you only consider the price of basic commodities. Nevertheless, good quality food, for example and when available is overpriced. Maltese bread is cheap and delicious but what about ham, cheese or meat. The quality of them, I am afraid to say, are of sub-standard, at least where I am living and you don't even have a choice.
What I have noticed from most of my Maltese friends is that they are happy with what they have, which is good. But most of them don't know what is available in other European countries.
Finally, re Mr. Hesselman comments, it is true that in Holland, we pay much more direct/indirect taxes but we get a good service in return and again the "average" wages are much higher.
University here is free and you get grants if you re hard up.
I have lived in Malta and I now live in Ireland. I can compare life in Malta with life over here. Quality of life here is much higher.
Fair enough you do not pay for Catholic schools over there. Dont you buy all the books and give donations? Not everyone has the opportunity to get into Catholic schools in Malta unlike here were there is a place for anyone who chooses that type of schooling for his/her children.
So the Maltese eat out so they are well off? Now I ve heard it all. Pubs here close late and even restaurants. I never heard of any restaurant taking last orders at nine.
And I know for a fact that there are pubs that close late in the UK. I was there last month.
Health Care is free here for people who cannot afford to pay something I agree with.
All that changed when we moved to the ROI in 2005. We both work full time and earn a decent wage. We take holidays, something we never dreamt of doin before. Our children attend Catholic state schools, free of charge. We would have had to fork out thousands to put them in similar schools in Malta.
Cost of living is the same as Malta or sometimes even cheaper. We dont even pay for water over here and university is free.
The grass is much greener over here in Eire. I d never move back to Malta. Sorry lads no offence meant.
Such an interpretation is entirely false. Never did I concede that the present Government is doing anything wrong by keeping the minimum wage at its present level. My point was that, from the ideological point of view, it is only natural that the Government keeps a low minimum wage. This is because right-winged economists have throughout the years come to the fore to criticise such a measure, because, like fellow welfare schemes, are a disincentive to the worker to increase productivity.
Luic le Brun indeed made some good observations, but you couldn't leave the politics out in your response. Here are three other reasons as to why the Maltese survive on thier wages.
Stanley Cassar Darien pointed out some very good reasons as to why the Maltese survive on thier wages.
There are many other reasons why they do, Three reasons that come to mind are; one is that there is no land tax in Malta; although a MLP Government run by DR. Sant tried to intoduce it. Mr. Fenech, remember it-taxxa fuq kull bieb.
The other reason is that for example the personal excemption in Malta is around 4,000.00 old Maltese liri compared to $7,500.00 Canadian Dollars, equivilant to 3,000.00 MLT Liri, to where I previously lived which is Canada.
The third reason is the cost of Education. In Malta University education is not only free but the students are paid a stipend. It cost about $20,000.00 CDN per student for each sholastic year. In the US it is even more expensive to send a kid to University.
Maltese families are very close, most pitch in and help, people inherit money and parents were and maybe still are determined to leave something for their kids. The average Maltese person also leaves home later on in life and so has more time to save for the ten per cent needed to buy his or her first house. The size of the island means that students can still stay with their parents and go to university without moving out. This has it's advantageous but then it also means that we have a lot of spoit brats.
Over sixty five per cent of women in Malta do not work, that is a very high percentage. The percentage of home owners is still very high though, I guess that both of these facts will have to start changing soon.
It's true that Maltese people on a minimum or average wage can't afford to travel alot. That's the same for Dutch people, for your information. You're not having it that bad in Malta at all. The extra money we make all vanishes to extra costs we have which you don't have in Malta. For example €120 health insurance a month, €80 garbage collection a month (1 person), €40 water (1 person), €110 electricity/gas (1 person), local council taxes (or however you waht call that) €75 a month and all other stupid things i forgot. Just the things i mentioned together amount €425, . These kind of things are cheaper or non existant in Malta and that you seem to forget! And it's not just those things, but overhere you literally have to pay big time for everything. Eating out is way more expensive, public transport is terribly expensive, petrol €1.60 a litre (with bigger distances to drive) and so on and so on..
Only things that are (slightly) cheaper are food in supermarkets and elecronics.
Le Brun made a very interesting remark. One has to make further studies regarding the social and economic aspects and the social reality of the Maltese population. Apparently the national census performed in Malta did not work well or else the authorities lack serious initiative to publish it. Such looseness reflects that the local system is not working well and surely it does need an immediate reform.
Considering all the points mentioned regarding luxurious lifestyles, one obviously may doubt of abuse and lack of stability shown by the one-part Maltese living and the data shown on paper.
qualified people and I am always wondering how families can cope. On
the other hand, I see some people with luxurious cars, owning a boat,
having dinner in top restaurants...How do they manage? As a foreigner,
I still have to understand the social reality of Malta. Can someone explain? Thanks.
Yes , Asda have good prices for quality products , but then why don't you go to Vietnam , Saudi , Thailand , China , Morocco or Egypt . There you can shop until you drop.
I will live & work 1 year in UK or Ireland and 1 year in Malta in the same job. I will live in the
same conditions that is no use of car, just purchasing food stuffs and other every day
necesity items,paying utility bills and living in a Rented place.Everything the same!
And then if I don't save at 3 times as much money in Ireland or UK I loose!
Any one up for it?
For you people who have a lump sum under your heads or inherited something its easy to
speak! Good luck to you after all. BUT
Talk to people who are not as above paying loans and rising up children and they tell you
how they struggle at the end of the month! (fortunately I am not paying any loan)
I love Malta cause I was born there,lived there for a long time and hopefully be buried there
and realy can enjoy life when you can afford it but don't mix up grass with gas and let's call a
spade spade ,not I am alright ........ Jack attitude sorry!
For those believing living in the UK is far better, please come and see for yourselves.
Since the EU formed & the people of its countries within it have a choice were they wish to reside, the UK has been inundated with foreign nationals. From the moment these people set foot in the UK, their equal rights to all state benefits are identical to those who have paid into the system all their working lives.
I admire those who want to better themselves, however, not at the detrement of others. UK tax payers are paying millions of pounds in providing services such as interpreters, housing, hospitals, education etc.
A Camilleri, the UK is not going down the drain but already has. It appears, those who work to better themselves are penalised by paying high taxes to support either the lazy ones who sit back believing the world owes them a living or forgein nationals who come here for a better life, ripping the benefits that others have worked long and hard for.
cont ...
I said in my previous posts that there are pros and cons. I too have families living in England.They live in beautifully kept council houses(in Southend), have nowhere near that much rent, and live extremely comfortably. They change their car every two years,They all come over to Malta two or three times per year.I swear.(But then they are not 90 yr olds. I agree they need more care at that age,and sincerely sympathize with them and you.) .And if you have ever had a relative in SVDPaule hospital, you KNOW that it is HORRIBLY overcrowded! Living is not just Asda and Primark. Of course it isn't. Those were just examples, since clothing and food are the main culprits of money spending. We have advantages ourselves too, such as safety on the streets, which I appreciate a lot....although rapid erosion in that area is also happening as we speak. And of course there is that special place in your heart that one calls home...Respect.
I am going to stick my neck out here, and guess that you do not do a lot of cooking. The fruit and veg in the UK is of inferior quality, it has to travel long distances and looses a lot of it's flavour. There are certain winter and autumn vegetables there that are abundent and tasty, I prefer the Med diet though myself and love going to veg and fruit vans.Have you ever tasted a tomato in England? We need a really good farmer's market here, that would be amazing.The farmer's markets in England are brilliant.
I understand that I will not change your opinion, so let's agree to disagree, but the main thing that I can't stand about Malta is the negative mentality of a lot of Maltese. A lot of locals think that they are too special for a little island, which of course is a load of rubbish.You did decide to move here after 10 years living there, and don't think anybody put a gun to your head. If you have decided to live here, for whatever reason, try to be a bit more optimistic, you might even like it.
1. It is a free country, and you have a right to your opinion. If everybody liked living here as much as I do, we would be in trouble, there is no space of course.
2. I understand that life can be hard here, I am sure that other families in other countries struggle as well, but I do hope that wages will improve here and that you will be rewarded for your hard work
3.I would never purchase anything from that place personally as I would not feel good about it, kindly do look up the working conditions in the Indian Asda and Primark factories online. There are others of course, don't want to pick on those stores, but we are just using them as an example.
1. I thought this is a free country. ergo...
2. I respectfully disagree. With my qualifications I expect to earn more and have more at the end of the month. I am the sole provider for a family of 4. There NEVER is any disposable income left. And I work in a prime private company.
3. For your information, Primark sells from high cost to low cost clothes.A case in point. 3 years ago the Italian national team changed technical sponsors from Lotto to Puma. The NEXT day, the NEXT day, ALL Lotto apparel was sold at 2sterling each! I bought a case-load of gifts.Even now in Malta diadora wear is still expensive. And as for workers in the far East getting bad deals...well what can we truly do about it?Fruit and veg in a water-starved country can never be as good or cheap as in one where it rains regularly. Forget it man...how can you be serious?
4. I have lived in England for a total of 10years.Guess that qualifies me enough. There are sometimes obligations and family ties that one cannot ignore.
Thanks for listening! Respect...cheers.
1. why step into a blog like this if you have made up your mind already?
2. I have lived in both countries that you have referred to, and also Italy and Germany, and whilst I am no expert about economy, people in Malta seem to have much more disposabile income at the end of the month.
3.The shops you wrote about are very cheap shops indeed, Primark sells low quality clothes, and not too sure if you know what kind of conditions workers experience at their factories in the Far East. Big supermarkets are killing all competition in the UK, and also pay farmers very little for their produce. Fruit and Veg is of a much superior quality here and still really cheap actually. I try to shop in local small shops when I can.
4. If you feel so strongly that Malta is not the place for you, I would advise you to try living away for a while, it's really easy, plenty of jobs available, and it would be a great learning experience.
The worst thing you could do is stay in a place where you are so unhappy, life is too short. Good luck........
We have been granted by our new government a respite on our taxes by not paying any house tax on our home BUT what did councils do? Well well well, they raised the tax on rubbish collection. This year I have to pay 399 Euros instead of the 247 Euros I paid last year. Our car insurance is about 250 Euros every six months for a 1100 cc car, for example.
Try to consider the rates of interest in the banks... they are almost nil and you have to pay about 10 Euros a month on certain bank accounts!!! Consider the 19% interest rates on certain credit cards. 29% seems to be the normal Income Tax rate we are constantly paying.
I wonder how, when I lived in Malta, I could save money, buy anything practically, have three holidays a year and here in Italy we sometimes struggle to survive?
My brother in law has been living in the UK for the past 5 years now and this is my view re UK-Malta.
-Taxes and NI are more expensive in the UK
-Travelling and fuel is more expensive (£19 for a bus ride from Cambridge to London and back)
-Council tax (to pay for services which are free here, like rubbish collection, firemen, police, street lighting)
-Food is generally higher especially meat, even from supermarkets
-services are much higher (hair dresser/barber, dentist, doctor, mechanic, optician)
-eating out is much higher (do not think of doing it weekly)
Cheaper things are normally:
-toys
-clothes
-electronics
-travelling abroad (air tickets)
-McDonalds
I do not know why but my brother in law often waits to come to Malta to have a hair cut, and there are also dentistry holidays from the UK to eastern Europe.
-Pick your choice for total overall quality of life.
Rather than just consider income I really think that overall quality of life is what is really important. If you count that rather than just hard cash then Malta would probably rank at the top of the charts.
For the standard of living on Malta to improve for all then I think that the country needs to get some kind of control of its "black" economy.
I would gladly swap many aspects of our over governed lives in the UK where our huge governement machine wants to control everything about the way that we live and interfere in pretty much everything that we do for the more laid back attitude of Malta.
why arent all the companies in Europe situated in Malta ?
Is it because we have a skilled worforce, or is it because our skilled and professional workforce emigrates for a better life, and companies find no professional people to hire !
Why you little elves are accusing this perfect government: We scored low on wages, but who cares about wages!! Who needs money in this country full of bliss!!
We score high in taxes, incompetence, scaring tourists away, corruption, dirt, inefficiency, high cost of living, and the list goes on and on!!!
in canada i find them to be very individualistic and loners, never complain about nothing but I'm still trying now to figure out what they live for. There I made the average family household income alone but barely made ends meet. I work in England because I like the people and because that is how one gets to experience other peoples' way of life. I do not like the drinking culture, I think family unity bad, and weather sucks but I am happier than in Canada and admire their social attitude.
Minimum wage is just a number. The better educated one is the more one starts to appreciate the better qualities of life and the more one earns ... and so the more one spends.
Does anybody know how expensive Luxembourg is? I hear it is ridiculously expensive.
Next is Italy ... Will keep you posted :)
Moi? PN apologist? Fantastic haha. I only voted for PN once, out of three elections so don't really think so, but anyway. I did quite well in London actually, thank you very much but I was speaking in general. Nobody puts a gun to anyone's head to stay in a country these days, we can all work wherever we want really. It's really simple, a lot of us were doing it before we joined the EU, now it's even easier. It's a real pity if someone is unhappy somewhere and decides to stay there, life is way too short. You have a right to stay or go, personal choice.
Stop nagging, no goverment or system is perfect, and your future is in your hands. Lawrence and Joseph are both valid politicians and gentlemen so things can really improve over the next five years, let's stop playing these petty political games, cause we are loosing so much time. For me, being Maltese is always going to be much more important than being PN, Labour or AD. I love living in Malta, because I am in love with the country, nothing to do with any political party really. sorry.
Did u ever tried to buy a Sliced wholewheat loaf from tesco 1.42 euros it costs (check 1 similar to it in Malta last I bought it 1.52 euros- lm0. 65cents ) and its bigger!
Don't mention Cigarettes or Spirits those are not essential everyday needs and they are heavily taxed to avoid people from those bad habits and cure diseases from their revenue.
What about Electricity and Water rates tell us please how much they cost so we can compare!
In UK you have cold and in Malta we have hot weather . With what a/c and fans work?
People which live in cardboard boxes most of them choose that way of life 1 classic example was the Maltese Tramp !
You have also people living on the dole going around in BMW'S and Mercedes!!
Why repair a car when you can afford to change it every 6-8 years?
Come on Mr. Barrett. Look at the football stadiums in the UK every weekends packed with people where tickets cost a fortune and you get the answer where its still the best purchasing power in hand and the grass is greener!!
At least we are not last eg Eurovision!!!!!
I thought that many Maltese believed they were English!!!!!
Who are we taking for a ride???? Look at the names of the countries lagging behind us!!!!
There is always a counter argument - the figures in the article do not mention Income Tax, or NI. Having worked out tax on income in both Maltese and UK, the UK taxation is higher than that paid in Malta.
Yes, I drive in Malta - well try to but thats another matter LOL. Yes I fill my tank and get about 32 miles per gallon which on a small island like Malta is quite a long way and not bad for the start stop crawl type driving here.
Surcharge - the fuel bills are constantly going up higher and higher in the UK as well, they just did not call it a surcharge, just a price rise.
If you did not understand the bit about the clouds and rain - just imagine it raining all day for weeks on end with no sun - it is depressing and it happens often in the UK. - hence another "quality of life" aspect.
Bread prices - I was comparing "fancy bread" prices which are not subsidised - the current Maltese bread subsidy is on Maltese bread only.
Life is not all bad in Malta.
It will be interesting what salaries cum perks do senior staff receive and are kept under wraps and considered confidential while the workers have to pick up the crumbs that fall under the table... No wonder that the french and russians could not tollerate such a wide concertina and social disparity within their society. But, here in Malta, fighters for social justice are branded as working against the interest of the nation. What we need is priests with a social conscience to return to Malta from their experience and direct involvement in the social problems in South America and take up the plight of their downtrodden brethren in our Island. Why do we keep talking on social exclusion and people living on and below the poverty line, recognise these stark facts but do so very little about them. Statistics in this respect should make those who care shudder with horror and vow to help those who cannot help themselves. So much injustices and inequalities still rampart and ignored.
You need vastly more electricity and or gas to heat your living space and they are by no means cheap - plus it is cold in the UK for many months of the year. yes for a part, but what about our surcharge of 95%
OK a new car is cheaper but the road fund license is very expensive and you will be lucky if it is still classed as roadworthy at six years of age (higher mileage and very strict road tests high repair/maintenance costs). I I hope you drive in Malta also......
There are people living in cardboard boxes in places in London - will soon come to that my friend
The grass always seems greener on the other side - it is for some. no way the figures talk for them self
Paul Barrett
Minimum wage vs. cost of living is one thing - Quality of life is another thing altogether. I like this phrase...very much.
UK wages may sound high but you have to pay out a lot more in the UK to get anything like the standard of living that you can get for your money over here. really like what tell us
Try 1.53 euro for a 400gr loaf of bread. shortly it will come to that wait till January when there is no subsidiary
Around £5 + (euro 6.25+) for 20 cigarettes in Malta they are not cheap
Travel distances are far greater and vastly more expensive both public and private. do you fill your tank?????????
Then there are the weeks and weeks of rain with hardly any sun. sorry did not get it?????
Maltese never change do they!!!!
F X Cassar
Xlendi Gozo
Why do you not mention whether you were a student or let us know what you were earning?
More deceit from PN apologists!
UK wages may sound high but you have to pay out a lot more in the UK to get anything like the standard of living that you can get for your money over here.
Try 1.53 euro for a 400gr loaf of bread.
Around £5 + (euro 6.25+) for 20 cigarettes
Travel distances are far greater and vastly more expensive both public and private.
Then there are the weeks and weeks of rain with hardly any sun.
You need vastly more electricity and or gas to heat your living space and they are by no means cheap - plus it is cold in the UK for many months of the year.
OK a new car is cheaper but the road fund licence is very expensive and you will be lucky if it is still classed as roadworthy at six years of age (higher mileage and very strict road tests high repair/maintenance costs).
There are people living in cardboard boxes in places in London - The grass always seems greener on the other side - it is for some.
Yes me dear B Caruana, it would also be Gonzi's fault, because it is his Government that is leaving overflowing skips especially the ones by the seaside with all kinds of rubbish for days on end - sometimes even weeks. Been to Golden Bay lately?
So you see, even others can do politics, B Caruana style!
We came 19th in minimum wage ranksl( if you add the other 7 countries which were not included and they sure all have better wages).
Now I will would like to see in which place we come in the cost of living list?
I had to leave Malta and my family cause its impossible to live with a minimum wage!
I am living in Ireland and can tell you that here cost of living for every day stuff is the same as Malta and some things like electronics etc. cheaper! At the end of the month you always finish to save money!
If any one wants a prove I have all receipts in hand!
I speak with other foreigners here Estonians,Polish,Hungarians ok its true they have lower wages in their counries but even the cost of living is lower and when buying houses!
Before entering the EU we were compared to countries like Ireland I still remember the PN
spokespersons saying that we will do good as them once we join the EU and life would be better ! Do you remember?
So who promised better standards of living? Or we can't even ask questions now ?
Dear Sir, you are talking aload of rubbish!!! if you are a medical student or a Junior House Doctor, you will only get £30k at the most !!!! and working alot of hours(90 hours), once you spend at least 3 years as a House doctor, then wages do go up, a General Practician gets no more than £100k but that is after quite a few years practising.
If you are a Phd in Engineering or any other field, you are still way too hign, I know I lived in England for 36 years, believe it or not the streets in UK are not paved in gold as you may think.
All I can tell you is go and work in England and you will soon find out.
By the way the minimum wage is £5.52 per hour over the age of 22 years old in UK, opps that is nearly equal to here, plus you have to pay higher taxes ie normal tax and NI and of course house rates, etc...
@ Dave A Caruana.
I love the bit where you say, with a bit of care......
You can get a roast like that in pubs that do not even have a music licence (getting a music licence in London costs a lot of money and older men do not mind sipping cheap ales in quiet) and what about council tax? I used to pay a hundred sterling a month. What about transport costs? With a bit of care in Malta, you can go and play bocci at the local club, stuff yourself with free cheese and crackers, timpana and chicken wings.
The question that one needs to ask is, which country provides me with a better quality of life?
It depends on what one is looking for really, impossible to compare countries, life is not a matter of figures but feelings.
Maltese never change do they!!!! Everything modern, but 1970's mentality
And had it not been for Labour to introduce the minimum wage in Malta (while it was being opposed by PN), we would not even compete!
Well ... at least its better than that of Bulgaria or Romania or Latvia. But might I remind you that the cost of living in Malta is very similar to that of the UK (not the London areas).
...shame.