The General Workers' Union has welcomed comments by the prime minister yesterday that the government intends to regularise the employment of migrant workers with a view to ending the situation in Marsa where migrants loiter until they are offered odd jobs.

In a statement, the union said the prime minister's intentions dovetailed with proposals it had made before the last general election, and it was prepared to work with the government and the social partners to bring them about.

Migrant workers, like Maltese workers, should be protected from any abuse and, hence, precarious working conditions, it said.  

The Employment and Training Corporation should include a section that would be tasked with finding jobs for migrants, and it should become illegal for anyone to employ migrants without ETC registration, even for a few hours, the union said.

Those seeking to employ migrants should do so through the ETC according to the working conditions laid down by law, the union insisted.