Maltese spend more hours at work than EU average
...but have more paid holidays than nearly everyone else
Maltese workers last year spent four more days on their job than the average worker in the EU and a staggering 26 days more than a French worker.
Estonians and Romanians are even more industrious, spending an average of 10 days more at the workplace than a typical Maltese worker.
A report issued yesterday by the European Foundation for the Promotion of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), which measured working time developments in the EU in 2007, classifies Maltese workers as being among those toiling the most number of hours in the EU. Overtime was not calculated as no reliable data exists.
According to the report, Maltese workers last year spent an average of 1,776 hours on the job when vacation leave and public holidays were eliminated. The average working-time in the EU 27 stood at 1,743 hours or 33 hours less than Malta.
France is by far the best place to be for those not too enamoured of work because France has a statutory 35-hour week. According to Eurofound, the French last year spent just 1,568 hours at their place of work, 208 hours less than the average Maltese. On the other side of the scale, the Estonians and the Romanians spent 1,808 hours at work, the highest amount.
When it comes to holidays, which incorporates annual leave and public holidays, Maltese workers can't complain. Eurofound's report shows that only the Swedes had it better last year, with 330 paid hours of holidays.
The Maltese and the Italians came in second place with 304 hours (38 days) of paid vacation leave each. For Malta this was calculated by adding the 24 days of statutory annual vacation leave to 14 days of public holidays.
The average number of statutory vacation leave days in the EU-27 last year was lower than the Maltese average, standing at 23.7, while the average number of public holidays was 10.7 days.
The Swedes have 33 days of vacation leave a year followed by the Danes and the Germans who have 30 days. On the other hand, in Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia and Ireland, the number of statutory annual leave days is 20.
In general, the report states that the average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union last year stood at 38.6 hours. It shows that there is still a substantial gap in working time between the former EU-15 member states and the majority of the new EU member states. In fact, the average in the EU-15 stood at 37.9 hours in 2007 (the same as in 2006), compared with 39.6 hours (also unchanged from 2006) in the 12 new member states, a difference of 1.7 hours, or 4.5 per cent.
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Marco Spiteri
Sep 5th 2008, 18:26
The heading should have read MALTESE SPEND HIGHER HOURS AT WORKIN THE EU as when you add 32 hours (equivalent to 4 PH lost in 2007 x 8 hours) to the Maltese average of 1776 hours at work the result is 1808 whic is the highest in the EU together with that of Estonia and Romania. The actual number of hours of paid holidays thusgoes down to 34 from 38 putting Maltese Workers exactly on EU average of 23.7(leave) + 10.3(PH) = 34.
So in actual fact the Maltese worker "enjoys" the EU average as regards paid holidays for as aaisnt the highest of number of working hours and a below average income = Below EU average working conditions...........and not taking in consideration other factors such above average inflation.....fuel costs......surcharge...etc..
and to add insult o injury we get the business forums compalining about wages increases when their workes are the most worker in the EU. Maybe they should address their cry on matters more important such as rising cost to buisness induced by government taxes and inefficiency.
A Camilleri
Sep 5th 2008, 14:41
@ N.R Micallef - Spot on. So much for the statistics.
George Abdilla
Sep 5th 2008, 12:09
By adding the public holidays falling on weekends, it means we are working even more than claimed as rather than 38 days we had only 9 days out of the claimed 14days of public holidays during 2007.
St Pauls - 10th Feb, Easter, Freedom day - 31st March, Vitoria- 8th September, and Kuncizjoni 8th December all fell on a weekend.
Government’s argument to please the Employers Association is in reality harming the trade as many are those who feel robed by the employers and government and resort to taking sick leave to get back on these measures. Furthermore, had Government adopted to move these 4 days a day before or a day after, thereby creating a long weekend, Government would have provided for the Tourism trade to benefit more as long weekends generate a substantial increase in trade - be it restaurants or hotels.
Nicholas Robert Micallef
Sep 5th 2008, 11:22
The information regarding Malta is incorrect in the following statement:
'The Maltese and the Italians came in second place with 304 hours (38 days) of paid vacation leave each. For Malta this was calculated by adding the 24 days of statutory annual vacation leave to 14 days of public holidays.'
The 14 days of public holidays do not account for the fact that when some of these holidays happen on a weekend, these are not replaced by an extra day free during weekdays. Hence, these need to be reduced by about 4 or 5 (given that on average 4 or 5 public holidays happen on a weekend each year).