David Schembri
Police probe racket claim by nurses
Nurses warned by middleman
The police are investigating allegations that a group of Pakistani nurses employed at Mater Dei Hospital to plug the shortages were being exploited by a company that is demanding a fee out of their salary.
A contract, seen by this newspaper, between the “agent”, who purported to act as a conduit between the nurses and the state hospital, stipulates that each nurse has to pay as much as €3,000 out of the salary in management fees while in employment here.
The nurses are reportedly meant to hand over €600 from their first pay and 12 instalments of €200 to complete the sum. Following that, the company still expects payment of €85 monthly for the duration of their contract.
The contract specifies that the company had assumed the role of representing the nurses and its duties were to “coordinate, collaborate, hold meetings, pay all fees and expenses, registering, filling in and evaluating forms and applications relating to the procurement of employment for the nurse”.
One of the 47 Pakistani nurses employed at Mater Dei, who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity, said that about 18 months ago, a co-national had called from Malta to inform him the Maltese government was recruiting international health care staff and that he was the channel they had to go through.
This man allegedly told the nurses working at Liquat National Hospital to send all the documentation to him and which he eventually passed on to the Medical Council, which had to verify the qualifications with its Pakistani counterpart.
“Once we started working in Malta, he made us pay him €120 a month to live with another nine people in a two-bedroom apartment,” the nurse recounted. This was excluding another €12 for television, internet and telephone access. The nurse has a monthly basic pay of just above €1,000, of which he has to pay for rent (he has since moved out of the flat he shared with nine people) and money to the “agent”. The rest goes into living expenses and to support his family back in Pakistan.
It was only when the foreign nurses started speaking to their Maltese colleagues about their situation that they realised the scheme could potentially be illegal and they took it to the police.
The Pakistani middleman had warned the nurses not to speak to other Pakistani people in Malta and that they should turn to him for help.
The Health Ministry would not answer questions by The Times about the matter, citing the ongoing investigation. The police confirmed they were investigating the case.
The nurses are part of a drive by the government to recruit 300 nurses in view of staff shortage within the health care service. The recruitment of foreign nurses had been opposed by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, which had said the language barrier and differing standards in training would adversely affect the level of health care offered in Malta.
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Mr Joe Xuereb
Apr 27th 2011, 23:09
@Ms Danika Vella. Time was when nursing was predominantly a female domain, in UK at least, where I'm spouting from. They were called 'angels'. Now of course, the job-market has shifted with more and more males taking up nursing. In UK, that is. I don't know about job-market in Malta but I'm given to understand, reading these pages, that what the UK emanates, Malta sniffs. Meanwhile, here in UK, wards are 'nursed' by Zimbabweans, bless 'em! struggling with heavy accents, efficiency and British type common sense fairly dripping of the walls (I guess Danika would deem this racist, go figure! Such are the insights of those blessed with common sense a` la maltaise ). I'm glad my hospitalisation was not in an establishment called The Mother of God with crucifixes fairly dripping off the walls, that phrase again! What I needed - and what I got - was a decent enough nurse, some painkillers, a no-nonsence doctor and a rather thin-on-the-ground TLC, but still within the ambit of present day 'angels' in the UK. The chaplain heard there was a Malteser on the ward and he came visiting. I greeted him, honestly, and told him I needed the doc not prayers. What did he expect? that I melted in his hand? He came again. Now THERE'S a chaplain worth his mettle!
Mr Raymond Sammut
Apr 26th 2011, 12:27
If allegations made in this article are correct, then it is a great shame for the Maltese nation to allow such scandalous affairs. These Pakistani nurses have travelled a long way from home to help out in the shortage of local nurses by attending to the sick in our hospital only to be treated in this manner. When Dom Mintoff was criticized for recruitment of foreign doctors to make up for the shortage of Maltese doctors however, he ensured that they were provided with good working conditions to the extent that he was also criticized for this matter. We were publicly informed that an Agency fee to the tune of about eight hundred thousands Euros had been allocated by Government for the recruitment of Pakistani and/or Filipino nurses. This could have been much less if our local Government had enough common sense to sent his own delegation to interview and engage their services directly rather than entrusting this task to a Contractor. Moreover, our Government is still morally and legally bound to ensure that the contract of employment of these nurses is in conformity with local laws and regulations, and that they are provided with decent lodgings and facilities at a reasonable expense. Making them pay €120 a month for ten nurses to share a two-bedroom apartment as claimed is tantamount to daylight robbery, and quasi-slave labour, which no decent society should tolerate.
Raymond Sammut
Mr R ferriggi
Apr 26th 2011, 08:55
this will finish in the usual way.
the police make an investigation.
the contractor is a heavy weight and gets away scot free.
the person making the allegation finishes either deported, or worse, disappears from this earth.
Ms D Galea
Apr 26th 2011, 13:23
In the seventies, Dom Mintoff sacked goverment doctors for obeying legitimate union directives and then enacted punitive legislation aimed at depriving them from earning their livelihood in Malta.He then tried to rectify such a deficit by turning to his friend Gheddafi and his associates in the communist east and the third world for help . Making comparisions of what happened then to what is happening now is hardly conducive to a fruitful discussion of the subject in question.
Kenneth Galea
Apr 25th 2011, 13:31
Dom Mintoff was vilified back in the eighties when he recruited foreign doctors and nurses because the Maltese medical professionals were leaving in their droves. If there is a shortage of Maltese nurses and doctors then by all means employ professionals to meet the demand of the health centres and the Mater Dei. However this article proves that the economy benefits little from mass migration from third world countries. This individual openly admits sending money back home to Pakistan to help his family financially. The economy benefits if the hard earned money circulates in the country.
Mr Joe Xuereb
Apr 25th 2011, 12:30
Time was, here in UK, that a nursing career was desirable and honourable. Angels we used to call them. On any ward 'a home-grown' nurse is an exception (I was recently in hospital and had a very good nurse bless her white cotton socks). Problem was, her accent was so thick she might as well have been speaking Urdu and I ended up guessing what she was saying. Not good enough).
The situation seems to be replicated in Malta. Why is nursing not such an attractive career any more, in UK and in Malta? Is it because young women dream of being super-models or singers with hardly any clothes on, being 'famous' in other words?
If there is something untoward going on, the Police, at least, are investigating. Let's leave it at that for the time being.
Danika Vella
Apr 25th 2011, 15:42
"Is it because young women dream of being super-models or singers with hardly any clothes on, being 'famous' in other words?"
The nursing profession is also open to male students, if you didn't know. It seems as if you think of women when you hear the word nurse. Now why should that be? It almost makes you look sexist.
Besides, the reason why there might not be many students (both males and females) choosing the profession is the fact that there are many other more comfortable jobs to choose from, unlike in your time, when the choice was limited, especially for female workers.
Common sense, no?
Mr M Farrugia
Apr 25th 2011, 11:42
Habib mela insejt meta gew il-Korejani u ic-Ciniżi Malta, biex ma insemmix ukoll il-hafna barranin li kienu jigu jahdmu fl-industria tal-kostruzzjoni u tal-hadid. Dan mhux il-bierah imma taht amministrazzjoni differenti.
Robert Cassar
Apr 25th 2011, 11:10
This is normal practise when agents / third parties are involved. These nurses should not cry wolf now and they new this before. These types of agreements are being done Pakistan, Philippines and other third world counties. Usually these nurses do not afford to pass on or coordinate their application as it’s a complex process so there is when these work agencies and get in the middle.. easy money
D. A . Agius
Apr 25th 2011, 10:55
It is normal practice in some industries that recruiting agencies get paid out a jobseeker's wage a commission, it's the amounts which are a nightmare in what appears from the data above.
Government should have the social conscience of requesting such details as at the end of the day, an unhappy employee is simply an unproductive one, or at best, will not give a 100% service.
The issue is whether foresight is there to identify that "rackets" may emerge. The possible case over here is that in order to obtain the contract, the "agent" may offer a lower tender and get the difference s/he wants through tapping into the wages of the employee, which is pretty uncomfortable at the rates described above.
At the end of the day, if a nurse who lives in Malta is given a certain salary which represents the responsibility and current cost of living, why a foreign one may be paid differently, especially when that nurse does not have comfort and support of friends and family, which can never be quantified in monetary terms?
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Apr 25th 2011, 10:25
Issa drajna kollox f'idejn il-barrarnin u jghamelu l'flus minn fuq darna.
R. Gauci
Apr 25th 2011, 10:09
Jekk dawn l-allegazzjonijiet huma veri nippretendi li "jinqatu l-irjus" u li jissemmew in-nies b'isimhom halli nkunu nafu x'nies hawn mas-saqajn.
Frank Portelli 2BFRANK
Apr 25th 2011, 10:03
Protecting the rights of workers in employment contracts is an obligation of the DIER – Department of Industrial and Employment Relations.
Mr R ferriggi
Apr 25th 2011, 10:02
throw them in jail if this is true.
Ms D Galea
Apr 25th 2011, 12:34
X ghandu x Jaqsam il-GVERN jew il karita KRISTJANA? Forsi taf xi haga aktar milli taf il pulizija ? Fil kaz ghamel rapport ufficjali ta, u mhux tfajjar l allegazzjonijiet hawn.
Mr carlos ellul
Apr 25th 2011, 09:21
If these accusations are true then its seems that 'il karita kristjana' and 'valuri sodi' arguments portrayed by this government are only reserved for the illegal immigration and divorce agenda. One should also investigate other governmental sub contractors to see what is the pay and conditions of the workers working in them. When one consider that our future saints residing in the parliament had just been given a 500 euros payrise one would find morally unacceptable that other workers are being paid peanuts.
R. Gauci
Apr 25th 2011, 10:17
L-aqwa li nitkazaw bid-divorzju imma! Halli niksru l-10 Kmandamenti imma fuq id-divorzju naghmlu paniku shih. Tghid ghala?
Mr Carmel Garcia
Apr 25th 2011, 10:21
Sur Ellul, kollox politika tara mid-derha. X'ghandu x'jaqsam l-agent u l-gvern f'din il-haga? L-agent mhuhiex il-gvern u l-gvern mhuwiex l-agent. Il-pulizija qed tinvestiga. Issa kemm ser iddum tinvestiga jghodd. Tmutx f'gif ommha jew le...
Frank Attard
Apr 25th 2011, 10:41
Carlos, l-istrutturi tas-socjeta jidhru li qed jahdmu tajjeb ghaliex il-pulizija diga qed tinvestiga. Dawn l-infermiera barranin, ghalkemm impjegati mal-gvern, jidher li saru jafu bl-opportunita permezz ta agenzija privata (li lanqas nafu jekk hijiex Maltija jew barranija). L-importanti li l-process investigattiv jissarraf f'rizulati u jekk inkisret il-ligi, min hu hati ihallas.
Marianne Tabone
Apr 25th 2011, 11:35
R. Gauci, tikser liema tikser mill-Kmandament mhux xorta hazin tkun qed taghmel? Think before you speak or write!! Hadd ma hu qieghed jghid li dan l-abbuz hu tajjeb sa fejn naf jien!!!
Mr carlos ellul
Apr 25th 2011, 12:15
Hu tal misthija jekk tohrog li haddiema taht subcontracter li jahdem mal gvern qeghdin jigu exploited b'paga indenja. Daqs kemm hu tal misthija li ta kuljum isib vannijiet jieqfu l marsa itellaw l klandestini u imberik alla qatt hadd ma indenja jaghmel investigazzjoni serja fejn qed imorru dawn n nies u xqieghed isir minnhom. L aqwa li l qaddisin li ghandna, mhallsin tajjeb fl parlament joqghodu jiftahru fuq moralitajiet u valuri sodi. Nimmagina l istess valuri sodi li ikonvincewhom izidu l pagi taghhom fnofs recessjoni.
Mr carlos ellul
Apr 25th 2011, 12:28
Nirepeti u ninsisti fuq dak li ghedt. Min gvern li l hin kollhu jinsisti fuq valuri sodi u karita kristjana (aqta meta jigi biex izid l paga tieghu fnofs recessjoni meta l poplu qieghed jghafas c cinturin) nistenna li kull sub contractor jigi investigat l hin kollhu ha jaraw jekk mhemmx iregolaritajiet. Meta tikkunsidra kemm ghandna beati fl parlament hu tal misthija li hawn haddiema li jigu exploited fMalta, ahseb u ara li tali haddiema jahdmu ma strutturi governattivi.
Tkun idea tajba wkoll li isir investigazzjoni serja fuq l vannijiet li jigu jigbru l immigranti fl Hal Far u L Marsa. Naraw fejn tali immigranti jmorru, jekk humiex qed jahdmu u jekk humiex exploited. Haddiem haqqu hlas dehen. Jekk m'ahniex kapaci nintegraw tali immigranti mela nieqfu nilghaqu l barrani, nohorgu mid dublin 2 treaty u nhallu l immigranti imorru fejn iridu ie fl Ewropa.
Mr Joe Cordina
Apr 25th 2011, 09:19
This is not a rare practice by recruiting agents. I believe that irrespective of any report made etc should actively investigate all these agents on a routine basis
Stephen Koludrovic
Apr 25th 2011, 09:18
Seems to be another case of modern day slavery.
Mr Michael N Cassar
Apr 25th 2011, 21:02
I am not surprised by this report as at one time we had Maltese shipping agents which use to ask and take from seamen’s salary a hefty sum of monies in order to find them a job in Libya and on merchant ship’s. This is only the start lets hope there will be no miscarriage of dead row patients or misuse of drag while the patient is half asleep under their care.