Compliance drive sees DIER take action on 30 recruitment agencies

30 recruitment companies in Malta were found to have been operating without legal compliance, according to parliamentary secretary for social dialogue Andy Ellul in an update on enforcement by the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations.

Ellul said over 80% of these firms were given a limited timeframe to regularise their status and have since then complied with the law.

Ellul said legal action will be taken against those companies that have not regularised their status as stipulated by the law.

DIER director-general Diane Vella Muscat said her agency had brought 55 cases before the court, collecting over €1 million employers that were passed on to workers who were denied wages, overtime payments or statutory bonuses during the first half of the year.

The data was given during a training and information meeting for social partners, including unions and employer representatives, DIER officials, and a number of employment agencies.

Ellul said DIER’s enforcement had now brought about a level playing field among operators.

“I also note with satisfaction that everyone is committed to ensuring that the way forward focuses on improving the quality of jobs in our country,” Ellul said. “We are committed to keep workers at the heart of our efforts and the country’s economic success.”

He also said the government would keep up efforts to attract quality jobs that bring added value to Malta. “We must continue to ensure that these jobs not only bring added value to employers through increased productivity, but also better wages and improved working conditions. In Malta, social justice must remain a top priority so that no one falls behind, and everyone achieves their aspirations. This also helps to create a balance between work and private life.”