Employers call for government backing on ethical charter

The Malta Employers' Association is preparing a service charter to encourage ethical employment practices in the cleaning, security and care working sectors.

Companies operating in these sectors will be encouraged to become voluntary signatories of the charter, committing themselves to align their operations in respect of their legal obligations and to respect ethical principles in their role as employers.

"The association believes that this will distinguish between responsible employers and others who allegedly offer substandard working conditions, and manage to gain an unfair competitive advantage over companies who abide by the law," the MEA said in a statement.

The association is calling on government to support this initiative by assigning a preferential weighting to signatories of the charter in its tendering process. This will encourage many companies in these sectors to offer good conditions of employment to their employees, and reduce instances of abusive work practices.

The MEA is planning to set up an independent board to administer the charter and to handle any allegations of breaches of its provisions. Companies in breach of the charter will risk being blacklisted in both the public and private sector.