Dar Malta denies new allegations in Belgian press of irregular labour practices

New allegations against the Permanent Representation of Malta over its employment practices have been denied by its chief of cabinet, after Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heuere claimed two of its chauffeurs were not being paid in line with national law.

According to the Belgian daily, the Maltese permanent representation is paying two new chauffeurs accredited to the EU institutions for the recent European Council meeting with undeclared top-ups to their salaries.

This is the second time that such allegations are made against the Maltese representation to the EU, after earlier this year the director-general of the Belgian federal service of employment (FSE) called on the Belgian kingdom's chief of protocol, Ambassador Peter Martin, to bring the Perm Rep in line with Belgian and EU law over its employment practices.

But cabinet chief Jean Pierre Schembri denied the new allegations of improper employment:

"All the locally engaged personnel at the Permanent Representation of Malta are employed legally and fully in line with Belgian employment laws, and their social security contributions and taxes are paid in full.

"With reference to the allegations contained in La Derniere Heure, it should be noted that the two drivers being referred to are not employees of the Permanent Representation of Malta. Due to the increased workload during the European Council in December 2011, the Permanent Representation was obliged to seek the additional services of two self-employed drivers who were engaged temporarily on an hourly basis.

"This is in line with Belgian employment legislation. It is the duty of a self-employed person to declare their income and pay their taxes and social security contributions."

Back in March 2011, the Permanent Representation fired its chauffeur Michel Demol after he admitted having spoken to Belgian newspaper Le Soir over the permanent representation's irregular labour practices.

Demol was paid a salary of some €1,200 net of tax and social security, but then given an extra €250-€350 allowance to top up his net salary - not as an extra benefit, but to reach the salary level he was entitled to in his employment contract.

But according to the Belgian federal employment service, the top-up was being paid "in cash and undeclared" to taxation authorities, as evidenced by the chauffeur's annual tax return.

The Permanent Representative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, had told MaltaToday that measures to bring the salaries and working conditions of Belgian personnel in line with Belgian law had started in 2006 on his instructions. "The phasing-out of these elements are now in line with Belgian law," a spokesperson told this newspaper in April.