Inquiry on employment of care workers ordered
The government has ordered an inquiry after the Opposition spokesman for health last week claimed that a private company supplying care workers to public hospitals had adopted illegal and abusive working practices.
Ms Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca had described the situation as 'legalised slavery'.
The inquiry board is composed of Joe Scicluna, Chairman, Dr Frank Pullicino and Dr Cynthia Scerri Debono.
The government said the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations had not received any complaints about this issue but had looked into the conditions of work of the workers, and the inquiry would now be held.
It said no exploitation of workers could ever be tolerated under any circumstances.
The company, Support Services Ltd, last Friday denied the claims that the care workers employed by it were denied sick leave, maternity rights and were paid paltry hourly rates. It was not true, the company said, that care workers were paid €3.80 per hour.
Support Services Ltd was engaged by the government to supply care workers at St Vincent de Paul Residence and Mater Dei and Karin Grech hospitals.
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Mr Stephen Farrugia
May 9th 2011, 21:29
3 euros 80 / hr is a decent sum?!?!?! That's LM1.60/hr ... what a part time waiter would get when s/he's 16 and has no 'real' responsibilities, no particular education in the field ,and no experience whatsoever.
Mr Gonzi, thanks a lot for your time in office, We really appreciate how good your smile was and how funny your remarks are, but I am ashamed to say that you did NOTHING for this country, you led it into stagnation, and you allowed this form of abuse.
3 steps to solve this problem:- Invest in external companies and privatization, Increase minimum wage to 7euros per hour for people with qualifications and 5euros per hour with people without and at the same time enforce controls on the market prices - so that if minimum wage increases, not everything increases in price - especially if it is imported.... and last but not least - Introduce the 50% tax rate for people who earn a lot.
No offense Gonzi, but seems to me that you want Malta to be the country of the rich only.... I hope you see this comment, and I really would like to speak to you about certain stuff, but unfortunately, the prime minister chosen by the people, has become a god in his eyes, and a plague in the people's eyes. No more votes for you from me, that's for sure.
Mr Savio Camilleri
May 9th 2011, 20:16
Good move. Obviously now the mentioned care workers they need to protected if they need to testify or show their pay slips to the board. I believe that Dr. Preca is right, as my relatives had worked with him. May I point out as well that another contractor does the same as well, as we faced the same problem. This is more than slavery. Example, to have leave they need to find someone themselves before they give them leave. I'm saying this for both companies..