Construction workers and those tarmacking roads were working in conditions one could not help but pity, President George Vella said.

Speaking at a conference on the Future of Work, Dr Vella called for respect for those whose work involves them being exposed to harsh conditions. 

"We cannot compromise the health and the interests of those who work," he said.

"This cannot be done if we don’t ensure decent work and competitive wages," Dr Vella said. "We need to ensure every measure that is introduced will benefit our wallets as well as the health of employees," Dr Vella added.

The country's biggest resource was workers, the President said, adding that the humanity of workers needed to be kept at the centre.

Workers used to previously be considered as a "machine", leading to unrealistic expectations of production - and shifts that did not take into account people's natural biological clock. 

The results, Dr Vella explained, were obvious: less efficiency, people lying about taking sick leave and tense industrial relations.

He explained that in the past, workers were secure in the knowledge that all they had learned decades before would be sufficient to guide them throughout their whole career, he said. However, things had changed and continuous learning was required to ensure that people remained active, he said.