Wages too low to cap overtime, unions insist

The two main trade unions believe that Maltese workers are not ready to have their overtime capped because wages here are still too low.

Their stand is aligned with that of the business lobby, which, over the past years, has been fighting the EU's drive to cap overtime against the insistence of the labour movement and socialist politicians.

As expected, on Wednesday, 421 out of 705 MEPs opposed a compromise agreement reached by the governments of the 27 EU members last June to keep the possibility of opt outs from the so-called Working Time Directive and allow employees to choose whether they would want to work for more than the legal maximum of 48 hours a week.

All Maltese MEPs voted in favour of the deal.

Last-ditch talks between the European Parliament and governments will now begin, with the outcome uncertain. Both have to agree in order to make the directive enforceable.

The directive sets the minimum requirements on the organisation of working time, particularly in respect of daily and weekly rest periods, breaks, maximum weekly working time, annual leave and certain aspects of night work, shift work and patterns of work.

The Malta Business Bureau, an EU advisory body for Malta's main business representatives, described the European Parliament's vote to cap overtime as a "blow to competiveness".

"Flexibility in the current worsening economic climate is a must for employers and workers alike. Businesses need the flexibility to organise their working hours according to changes in demand while workers should have the freedom to work overtime especially in difficult economic times," bureau president Stefano Mallia said.

"The vote is detached from the current economic climate. Its repercussions could be considerable, although there is still some way to go before the final word is said."

The general secretaries of the General Workers' Union and the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin said that while they agreed with the capping idea in terms of health and safety, giving more time for workers to rest, it had to be borne in mind that wages in Malta are still low and workers are already struggling to make ends meet.

GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said that at a time when workers are facing more burdens, such as the new water and electricity rates, restricting overtime would go against workers' interests who will not be allowed to work as much overtime as they want in order to maintain their family's standard of living.

Asked several times whether the GWU would be backing the government in its endeavour to retain the opt-out clause, Mr Zarb would not answer the question directly. "The government has to do what it thinks is in the best interest of Maltese workers," he replied.

UĦM general secretary Gejtu Vella said that from the health, social and family point of views, the decision is positive. However, he was quick to add, the opt-out clause is "imperative" until wages in Malta increase.

Meanwhile Labour's spokesmen Michael Farrugia and Anthony Zammit yesterday complained that successive Nationalist governments were ending the year in debt with medicine distributors, adding that the situation is getting gradually worse.

Dr Farrugia and Mr Zammit pointed out that 40 per cent of the €30 million which the government is estimated to owe to importers go back six months - an unacceptable situation, even more so when considering the government has a 150 day credit period.