The Malta Employers’ Association disagrees with the proposal put forward by the General Workers’ Union calling on the government to award contracts only to companies that are covered by a collective agreement.

The MEA said employees should have a free choice whether to join a union or not, and one cannot state that non-unionised companies have inferior conditions of employment when compared to unionised ones.

It added, however, that conditions of employment should be safeguarded, and that government contracts should not be awarded to companies that offer substandard or illegal conditions of employment.

The association said it had recommended the setting up of a services charter to cover the security, cleaning and care working sectors, to ensure that any companies committed to comply with minimum conditions – including those whose workers may be unionised – will be given preference.

It expressed its regret that it has not received any feedback from the government on this proposal.