Discussions underway to abolish zero-hour contracts

Government discussions are currently underway to abolish zero-hour contracts of employment.

According to a parliamentary question, government is holding discussions with social partners within the Employment Relations Board on the matter.

This is being done so as to identify the appropriate method for Malta to abolish such contracts.

Zero-hour contracts are a type of employment agreement whereby the employer does is not obliged to provide a minimum number of working hours to be carried out by the employee.

In this regard, employees under such a contract are only paid for the hours worked per week, rendering their income unsteady.

While zero-hour contracts have become an increasingly popular employment agreement in Malta, it is not strictly regulated at law.

Alternattiva Demoktratika, the green party now called ADPD following a merge with Partit Demokratiku, had called for a guaranteed income scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic for workers on zero-hour contracts.

Since their income depends primarily on demand, zero-hour workers were among the most vulnerable to economic shocks brought on by the pandemic.  

The PQ was put forward by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi to Minister Carmelo Abela.

READ ALSO: Good money and new slaves? Gig workers take all the risk in COVID-19 boom for food delivery