Nine organisations in support of parental rights, workers’ rights and equality between men and women have sent a letter to the Hon. Dr Andy Ellul, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue, who was responsible for the transposition of the European Directive on work-life balance. In this letter, the organisations asked for a wider consultation on the Directive with the aim of significantly improving the current weak law which came into effect in early August.
The organisations expressed their disappointment on three counts: First and foremost, the current transposition of the Directive is not going to achieve its original goal – that of enabling Maltese workers to successfully combine work with family and care responsibilities. Secondly, these new laws only provide the bare minimum required by the EU Directive. “Why isn’t the Maltese Government delivering an ambitious vision which inspires and which will truly improves workers’ quality of life and has a positive impact on Maltese society?”, they asked. Finally, the consultation was held behind closed doors for three whole years, in a spirit wholly undemocratic, without consulting the relevant organisations and academics.
The law can be massively improved to strengthen work-life balance in the workforce. The current transposition of the law is letting down Maltese society; those workers who are parents and/or have caring responsibilities, those who need their family to care for them, future Maltese generations and those who want to see increased equality between men and women.
The organisations presented five examples of how the law can be strengthened. Starting with the ten days of paternal leave which are being provided at full pay, the group is questioning why this leave needs to be taken immediately after the birth or adoption of the child. The current implementation fails to acknowledge that all families have different needs.
The second element of the law which can be improved concerns parental leave. Of the four months available, only two will be paid, and this is at the sick-pay rate of €21.85 daily. Why are parents going to be paid at sick-pay level when they are perfectly healthy and when they are providing a service to society with their care? Does the Government realise that this money will not go far in a period when the family’s expenses shoot up, especially with the recent increase in the cost of living? Unless this rate is revised, few parents will afford to take this leave. Specifically, few fathers will afford to do so, which means that it will remain women’s responsibility to provide unpaid or poorly paid care for the family.
The third element of the law which needs improvement also concerns parental leave. The law states that the paid portion of parental leave cannot be used all at once. Only one month can be used until the child is 4 years of age. The organisations are asking for flexibility in this regard so that the paid portion of parental leave can be taken according to the family’s needs.
The carers leave measure, wherein workers who have caring responsibilities can take up to five days of unpaid leave, also needs to be addressed. Once again we see the Government taking those workers who are providing caring services for granted. This leave should be paid adequately and fairly. The Government needs to stop propagating the charity model.
Finally, the Government also needs to revisit the measure which gives working parents of children less than eight years of age and workers who have caring responsibilities the right to ask for flexible work arrangements. The measure sets no criteria about which requests should be met. Moreover, the fact that the measure is only applicable to parents and those with caring responsibilities, again shows that the Government is out of touch with today’s society. This right to request flexible work arrangements should be available to all.
All of the above suggestions clearly indicate that the measures which have been implemented are nothing but a tick box exercise so that Malta conforms to the Directive’s requirements. The organisations are making a plea to the Government to strengthen and improve the current law to build a better future for Maltese society. The organisations also make it clear that they are waiting for a reply from the Hon. Dr Andy Ellul to explain to them and to the Maltese population what steps will be taken to improve the current law on work-life balance.
Organisations
Moviment Graffitti
aditus foundation
Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
Integra Foundation
Malta Women’s Lobby
MGRM – Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement
NPSPD – National Parents’ Society for Persons with Disability
Women’s Rights Foundation
ADHD Malta
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“Tejjeb il-liġi dwar ix-xogħol u l-ħajja privata” jgħidu għaqdiet lis-Segretarju Parlamentari, l-Onor. Dr Andy Ellul
Disa’ għaqdiet favur id-drittijiet tal-ġenituri, id-drittijiet tal-ħaddiema u l-ugwaljanza bejn l-irġiel u n-nisa bagħtu ittra lill-Onor. Dr Andy Ellul, Segretarju Parlamentari għad-Djalogu Soċjali, li kien responsabbli għat-traspożizzjoni tad-Direttiva Ewropea dwar il-bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja privata. F’din l-ittra, l-għaqdiet talbu għal konsultazzjoni usa’ dwar id-Direttiva bil-għan li tittejjeb b’mod sinifikanti l-liġi dgħajfa li daħlet fis-seħħ kmieni f’Awwissu.
L-għaqdiet esprimew id-diżappunt tagħhom fi tliet punti: l-ewwel u qabel kollox, it-traspożizzjoni attwali tad-Direttiva mhux se tilħaq l-għan oriġinali tagħha – dik li tippermetti lill-ħaddiema Maltin jgħaqqdu b’suċċess ix-xogħol mar-responsabbiltajiet tal-familja u l-kura. It-tieni, dawn il-liġijiet il-ġodda se jipprovdu biss il-minimu meħtieġ mid-Direttiva tal-UE. “Għaliex il-Gvern Malti mhux qed jagħti viżjoni ambizzjuża li tispira u li tassew ittejjeb il-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-ħaddiema u tħalli impatt pożittiv fuq is-soċjetà Maltija?”, staqsew l-għaqdiet. Fl-aħħar nett, il-konsultazzjoni saret wara bibien magħluqa għal tliet snin sħaħ, fi spirtu għal kollox mhux demokratiku, mingħajr ma ġew ikkonsultati l-għaqdiet u l-akkademiċi rilevanti.
Il-liġi tista’ tittejjeb bil-kbir biex jissaħħaħ il-bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja privata tal-ħaddiema. It-traspożizzjoni attwali tal-liġi qed tiddiżappunta lis-soċjetà Maltija; dawk il-ħaddiema li huma ġenituri u/jew għandhom responsabbiltajiet ta’ kura, dawk li għandhom bżonn il-familja tagħhom biex tieħu ħsiebhom, ġenerazzjonijiet Maltin tal-ġejjieni u dawk li jridu jaraw ugwaljanza akbar bejn l-irġiel u n-nisa.
L-għaqdiet ippreżentaw ħames eżempji ta’ kif tista’ tissaħħaħ il-liġi. Nibdew mill-għaxart ijiem leave ta’ paternita’ li huma mħallsa bis-sħiħ – il-grupp qed jistaqsi għaliex dan il-leave jeħtieġ li jittieħed immedjatament wara t-twelid jew l-adozzjoni tal-wild. L-implimentazzjoni attwali tonqos milli tagħraf li l-familji kollha għandhom bżonnijiet differenti.
It-tieni element tal-liġi li jista’ jittejjeb għandu x’jaqsam mal-leave tal-ġenituri. Mill-erba’ xhur disponibbli, tnejn biss se jkunu mħallsa, u dan huwa bir-rata ta’ sick-pay ta’ €21.85 kuljum. Għaliex il-ġenituri se jitħallsu b’rata ta’ sick pay meta jkunu f’saħħithom u meta jkunu qed jipprovdu servizz lis-soċjetà bil-kura tagħhom? Jirrealizza l-Gvern li dawn il-flus mhux se jservu wisq f’perjodu meta l-ispejjeż tal-familja qed jogħlew f’daqqa, speċjalment biż-żieda riċenti fl-għoli tal-ħajja? Sakemm din ir-rata ma tiġix riveduta, ftit ġenituri se jkunu jaffordjaw li jieħdu dan il-leave. Speċifikament, ftit missirijiet se jaffordjaw li jagħmlu dan, li jfisser li se tibqa’ r-responsabbiltà tan-nisa li jipprovdu kura mhux imħallsa, jew imħallsa ħażin, lill-familja.
It-tielet element tal-liġi li jeħtieġ titjib jikkonċerna l-leave tal-ġenituri wkoll. Il-liġi tgħid li l-porzjon imħallas tal-leave tal-ġenituri ma jistax jintuża f’daqqa, iżda jista’ jintuża biss xahar sakemm il-wild ikollu erba’ snin. L-għaqdiet qed jitolbu flessibbiltà f’dan ir-rigward biex il-porzjon imħallas tal-leave tal-ġenituri jkun jista’ jittieħed skont il-bżonnijiet tal-familja.
Jeħtieġ li tiġi indirizzata wkoll il-miżura tal-leave tal-carers, fejn il-ħaddiema li għandhom responsabbiltajiet ta’ kura jistgħu jieħdu sa ħamest ijiem leave bla ħlas. Għal darb’oħra naraw lill-Gvern qed jieħu lil dawk il-ħaddiema li qed jagħtu servizzi ta’ kura for granted. Dan il-leave għandu jitħallas b’mod adegwat u ġust. Il-Gvern jeħtieġ li jieqaf ixerred il-mudell tal-karità.
Fl-aħħar nett, jeħtieġ li l-Gvern jerġa’ jeżamina mill-ġdid il-miżura li tagħti d-dritt lill-ħaddiema li huma ġenituri ta’ tfal ta’ inqas minn tmien snin u lill-ħaddiema li għandhom responsabbiltajiet ta’ kura li jitolbu arranġamenti ta’ xogħol flessibbli. Il-miżura ma tistabbilixxi l-ebda kriterji dwar liema talbiet għandhom jiġu sodisfatti. Barra minn hekk, il-fatt li l-miżura hija applikabbli biss għall-ġenituri u dawk b’responsabbiltajiet ta’ kura, jerġa’ juri li l-Gvern ma jafx ir-realtaijiet tal-ħajja tas-soċjetà tal-lum. Id-dritt li jintalbu arranġamenti ta’ xogħol flessibbli għandu jkun disponibbli għal kulħadd.
Is-suġġerimenti kollha ta’ hawn fuq jindikaw b’mod ċar li l-miżuri li ġew implimentati m’huma xejn ħlief eżerċizzju ta’ ‘tick box’ biex Malta tikkonforma mar-rekwiżiti tad-Direttiva. L-għaqdiet qed jagħmlu talba lill-Gvern biex isaħħaħ u jtejjeb il-liġi attwali biex jinbena futur aħjar għas-soċjetà Maltija. L-għaqdiet jagħmluha ċara wkoll li qed jistennew risposta mill-Onor. Dr Andy Ellul biex jispjega lilhom u lill-popolazzjoni Maltija x’passi se jittieħdu biex titjieb il-liġi attwali dwar id-Direttiva tax-xogħol u l-ħajja.
L-għaqdiet
Moviment Graffitti
aditus foundation
Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
Integra Foundation
Malta Women’s Lobby
MGRM – Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement
NPSPD – National Parents’ Society for Persons with Disability
Women’s Rights Foundation
ADHD Malta
