Updated labour legislation to secure workers' rights during the coronavirus pandemic

Charles VELLA
National Council of the General Workers Union (GWU)

Malta put in place a set of ambitious measures to support families and businesses. The social partners were involved throughout the steps taken by the government to mitigate the economic, financial and health impact of the pandemic.

Quarantine leave for workers until recently was not found in any convention or industrial law in Malta. In some work places it was included in their respective collective agreements, but the majority of employees were not covered. Upon insistence by the GWU, the government enacted a new law that provides that employees on quarantine leave are paid in full. The negotiations ended with a unanimous agreement between employers, trade unions, civil society and the government to pay EUR 1200 (EUR 800 from the government and EUR 400 from employers) a month to each employee affected by the closure in areas such as hospitality, entertainment and aviation. This measure therefore saved several thousand jobs.

My organisation, the GWU, played an active role within the Employment Relations Board in amending and/or updating labour legislation to secure workers' rights during the coronavirus pandemic. One such amendment concerned a financial increase in in-work benefits to counter the negative impact on certain economic sectors, mainly the hospitality industry which was the most severely hit.

Furthermore, the GWU continued with its normal activities to protect employees' interests in workplaces that were not affected by a lockdown. The main issues raised were: workplace hygiene, distribution of face masks and visors, social distancing measures, flexi and/or reduced working hours and shifts, canteen closures and protection of the rights of vulnerable workers. These measures were to be revisited every four weeks.

For its part, the GWU insisted on a reduction in energy tariffs for all households throughout the pandemic. However, the government opted to reduce the price of fuel by EUR 7 cents per litre and also to grant a voucher worth EUR 100 valid until September to every person aged 16 and over. These vouchers are intended to kick-start consumption.

Regarding issues not related to trade unions, the GWU strongly supported the idea that local agricultural produce that was not consumed, such as potatoes, should be shipped to a less affluent country in Africa, in order to at least alleviate the hardships of hunger.

What remains now for the three social partners is to work together to find a way forward to heal the damage caused by the pandemic: (a) how to recoup all that has been lost socially, economically and financially and (b) how to continue to protect people in the event of a second wave of Covid-19.