Union to present findings of survey of precarious employment to MCESD

The General Workers Union will present the results of research conducted on precarious employment in Malta to the MCESD next Monday.

The report included a quantitative survey of 390 employees, of whom a number are either in precarious employment or in similar sub-standard employment.

Of the 390 employees surveyed by telephone, 18% had a definite contract while 1.8% did not have an employment contract.

51.3% of respondents said their salary was not substantial to allow them a decent standard of living.

28% of respondents who were found to be employed precariously said they were paid less than the minimum wage, 23% were underpaid in their overtime, and 22% lacked health and safety guarantees.

The majority of people claiming precarious working conditions, according to the survey, were single parents.

"Precarity means having little or no job security, a low level of remuneration, limited health and safety, and limited prospects of advancement," the GWU said today, taking umbrage at claims by the Malta Employers Association that there was no definition of precarity. "The ILO and the EU have defined it. It's just that people are not agreeing over its existence," the GWU said.

The Union said it estimated there were around 18,800 people in Malta who were employed precariously.

The research also included selective interviews with unions representing workers and employers in Malta. The results of these interviews show that the majority of people claiming precarious work are females, and most reports come from those within the 16-25 and 46-55 age brackets.

"The problem is not being exaggerated by the Union, and we will still work against precarity even if there is just one person at risk," said GWU Secretary General Tony Zarb.

When asked whether the GWU was surprised by the results of the research, Zarb said the results only confirmed what the Union has been saying all along.

"I think if workers and employers both addresst their concerns regarding the issue, then we can reach an agreement and fight precarity together," he said.

The Union is proposing the idea of a Commissioner for the Quality of Work in order to tackle the problem of precarity in Malta.

"The Commissioner must be backed by an efficient enforcement unit and will be assigned the task of investigating and reporting cases of precarity, as well as scrutinising tenders before they are awarded, to ensure there is no risk of precarity," said GWU Deputy General Secretary Michael Parnis, who also chaired the research team.

Other experts on the research team were lawyer Aron Mifsud Bonnici, organisational psychologist Manuel Debono, economist Silvio Schembri and research statistician Vince Marmara.

The research was commissioned by the GWU last April and compiled by BDC Ltd.