Company ‘exploited’ its care workers

The government’s policy of awarding contracts to the cheapest bidder, coupled with “administrative inaction”, translated into care workers being exploited and paid less than other government employees, an inquiry board has found.

The board yesterday published a report after looking into the working conditions of contracted care workers in government hospitals and homes for the elderly.

It found that some complaints by care workers, who claimed exploitation, were justified and that if such complaints persisted, legal action should be considered against the company representing the workers.

Support Services Ltd was awarded a government tender to supply care workers for Mater Dei, St Vincent de Paul and Karin Grech hospitals.

Last May, Labour MP Marie Louise Coleiro Preca pointed out that a number of the contracted care workers were being underpaid and exploited. Soon afterwards, the government appointed the board of inquiry to look into the issue.

The board’s conclusions were published yesterday ev-ening along with recommendations.

It pointed out that conditions of employment and wages of contracted care workers were based under regulations dating back to 1977.

However, although cost-of-living adjustments had been taken into consideration along the years, the regulations had not undergone a comprehensive review since then.

The board recommended this review. Until then, the board suggested that “more reasonable” minimum remuneration rates be listed in any new tender documents.

A contracted care worker is currently legally entitled to €7,980 a year compared to €10,816 paid to a care worker on entry in the civil service.

The report also recommended that a mechanism be set up to monitor working conditions “without any further delay” and that tenders for the procurement of employment services be widened to include an in-depth evaluation of a company’s track record with its employees.

Although the contract signed between care workers and Support Service Ltd was legally compliant, this still resulted in various reports and complaints by workers who felt exploited.

“In dealing with these complaints the Department (of Em-ployment and Industrial Relations) has refrained from taking punitive legal action... to foster and to maintain a good employer-employee relationship,” the board said.

While the board accepted that through negotiations, the department had helped rectify some irregularities, the board felt that “in the event of repeated complaints that are deemed to be justified, the department should seriously contemplate pursuing criminal proceedings against the company.”