Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Thousands march in Strasbourg to end working time opt-out
Trade union members from several countries of the EU took part in a demonstration on the eve of a vote at the European Parliament on the working time directive in Strasbourg, yesterday.
Over 10,000 trade unionists demonstrated outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday calling on MEPs to vote against the possibility of opting out of a directive regulating overtime, ahead of a crucial vote today.
If this vote goes through, as expected, it will put in jeopardy a compromise deal struck between EU member states last June which allowed Malta to opt out of the EU's Working Time Directive and allow its workers to do as much overtime as they want to.
The vote to amend the directive involves the definition of working time and the period over which the maximum average working week is calculated, as well as the extent to which EU member states are legally obliged to implement the directive.
Yesterday's demonstration was attended by representatives of the major European trade unions including the European Confederation of Trade Unions (ETUC) and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EFPSU).
Though active members of the ETUC, both the General Workers' Union (GWU) and the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UHM) were not represented at the manifestation as they oppose the stand taken by their umbrella organisations over this issue.
While European trade unions are against overtime and insist that workers should not work more than the normal working week due to health and safety considerations, both Maltese trade unions agree with the government's stand of allowing workers the option to choose how many extra hours they want to work.
Sources close to the EP said that today's vote can still go both ways as the EP is split over the issue. However, the Socialist MEP coordinating the issue, Alejandro Cercas is working for a definite vote against the opt-out clauses found in the ministerial agreement.
While the Socialist, the European United Left and the Greens groups are against the continuation of opt-outs by member states, MEPs from the centre-right EPP and the Liberals groups are still split and many of their members will vote according to their country's position.
All five Maltese MEPs are expected to support the government's position.
EU employment ministers will be closely following the events in Strasbourg from Brussels where they will be meeting for the Employment council. The outcome of this vote has been as one of the highlights on the agenda. Malta is to be represented by Social Policy Minister John Dalli.
Over the past four years, Malta has always argued for an "opt-out" as it maintains that its employment market necessitates a more flexible working attitude particularly in the health, tourism and security sector.
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Donald Gouder
Dec 18th 2008, 09:23
I fully agree with you Lucy 40 hours a week is enough but as Mike Pace said your minimum wage is not enough to sustain a family. Here in Ireland the minimum wage is €9.65 per hour that is equal to more than €20,000 a year, tell me how many Maltese earn that wage without doing any extra hours?. Now we can easily compare the cost of living much easier since you have adopted the Euro lets take for example the unleaded petrol here we pay €0.96c per litre were you pay around €1.24 per litre and the story goes on and on. I think all the Maltese unions need to work together to improve the salaries and not to force the people to work more.
Donald Gouder
Ireland
c.camilleri
Dec 17th 2008, 19:39
@ igalea Just name one country in which workers can live decently and afford some luxury without doing overtime. There is not such thing a paradise on this earth. Everyone everywhere has to work hard for the needs of his family and that includes o/t work. Denying workers the right to work overtime means less money for the needs of the families.
c.camilleri
Dec 17th 2008, 19:25
This is just a classical example of how socialists' mind work. They do not give the workers the choice to do what they like. If they have their way everything will be subject to uniformity and rigid order. This has failed during the Soviet era but still the socialists still want to impose the system. Without that extra money workers cannot afford any extra things. I am sure that should overtime be disallowed many will defy the system and opt to work clandestinely. It always worked like this.
lgalea
Dec 17th 2008, 12:24
Have a look at these links to see how the Commission works with lobbyists
http://euobserver.com/9/27310
http://www.alter-eu.org/en/news/2008/12/16/%E2%80%9Ccommission-ngos-big-business-rules-ok%E2%80%9D
Lucy PG
Dec 17th 2008, 12:19
The solution is not to let workers kill themselves working long hours but to improve the wages in order to reflect the cost of living... Leaving the opt-out clause means that people will work longer, have higher health risks, be more stressed, have sadder and more frustrated family lives and ultimately this means more costs on the health system and more taxes, etc to sustain it. At least that is how i see it...
Working 40 hours, i'm sorry, is more than enough in my opinion... i understand that people are hard pressed for cash, but there has to be a better solution to working long hours for the rest of our lives... I, for one, am not a machine...
mike pace
Dec 17th 2008, 10:36
It will be a disgrace if the local government accept the European law gets through our local corridors and limit the hours of overtime as our wages on high percentage of the Maltese employees works on peanuts rates as our friends in the European Union get paid double than local ratio of wages
Our government had to take a stand not to listen for once from his beloved mates the EPP and their right wing foes and vote against the amends and at least can guarantee the benefits of overtime to the local employees and their families as the cost of living is on sky high.
lgalea
Dec 17th 2008, 09:45
On the one hand the workers should have decent wages and salaries so that they will not have to work overtime to have a decent standard of living.
On the other hand, the situation being what it is in Malta, the workers need to work overtime if and when it is available to make ends meet.
The imposition of the usual eu one-size-fits-all policy will work against the Maltese workers since they they are not the Prime Minister, Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries who can award themselves a 40%, €290, Lm125 per week increase in their salaries.
The workers who are children of a lesser God were only given a €4 per week increase by the same Prime Minister who awarded himself and his Ministers €290 Lm125 per week increase in his salary..
Furthermore, Maltese workers cannot presently press for higher wages and salaries due to the current turbulent situation, lack of work and undercutting by foreign and illegal immigrants workers.
These are all negative aspects of eu membership that the Maltese people have an inalienable right to terminate for their own good and for the good of our country.