Temporary workers' rights safeguarded

Żminijietna - Voice of the Left welcomes the recent decision taken by the European Parliament to safeguard the protection of temporary agency workers. The directive will ensure equal treatment from day one for temporary agency workers compared to permanent workers in terms of basic working and employment conditions including pay, holidays, working time, rest periods and maternity leave, unless social partners agree otherwise. They will have equal access to collective facilities, such as canteens, childcare facilities and transport services, and better access to training both when working on contract and in between contracts.

Following the approval of this directive by the European Parliament, EU countries are now required to incorporate the provisions in their national law. It will then come into effect within three years.

Temporary workers in Malta are found in various sectors of the economy, especially in the service sector, where in various cases workers are employed temporarily, at lower wages and with less rights than other workers. We applaud the stance taken by the leftist political parties in the European Parliament on the temporary workers' issue, namely the United Left/Nordic Green Left Group, the Greens and the Socialists.

Żminijietna - Voice of the Left augurs that Malta fully implements this directive within our law and that member states should maintain the ability to regulate their own labour markets and collective agreements, especially now that collective bargaining is under siege with the Services Directive.