Proud of the economic development our country has achieved in recent years, the success in the labour market, and aware of the challenges our country faces today, the Government is embarking on an ambitious reform. It is a reform intended to create the necessary balance in the labour market.
The Government believes that Maltese and Gozitan citizens should have the services they need and desire, at the same time it must ensure that controls over who comes to work in our country are not only in the hands of the Maltese authorities, but are exercised in the interest of Maltese society where the interests of the many and not the few always prevail.
The proposed reform for public consultation was announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment Byron Camilleri at a press conference in which they explained the four important principles of the proposed reform.
The principles are; stability, workers’ rights, the fact that workers only come where they are needed and the emphasis on training.
- Stability: This reform aims to promote stability in the labour market. It therefore punishes the attitude of those who believe that they can bring in as many foreign workers as they can without first investing in initiatives that increase production and incentivise investment in skills. Above all, it is a reform that believes in those who show commitment to understanding and embracing Maltese life and therefore systems are being proposed that will make it more profitable for employers to keep workers they already have in Malta.
- Workers’ rights: By protecting workers’ rights, everyone benefits. Therefore, a reform is being proposed where workers’ rights are strengthened, punishing those who are content with only the minimum because they believe that instead of what they have, they can grab and bring in another worker. This is an attitude that can negatively affect the Maltese worker. In recent years, the Maltese worker has moved forward and progressed. With the emphasis on rights, the reform must ensure that not only does everyone have their dignity, but we ensure that there is no unfair competition in the labor market.
- Controls to ensure that workers from third countries only come to sectors where the country needs them. In fact, the reform makes a number of exceptions in crucial sectors such as health, disability and elderly care. However, there are other areas where decisions must be made continuously by continuously analysing the situation.
- Investment in skills: For the labour market to work efficiently and fairly, we must emphasise skills. This way, the country will be more productive, the workers will be of higher quality and as a consequence, more stability will be created because employers are more afraid of the investment that is made in training where quality is emphasized more and not numbers. Therefore, here too the reform incentivises and rewards those who choose this path, while the introduction of the skills card in the tourism sector will be extended to other sectors.
