Unions and employers came no closer to agreeing on what constitutes precarious work at a meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development yesterday.

This issue is a storm in a teacup and the problem in Malta is limited when compared with other countries

While employers insisted the situation was not as bad as it was made out to be, trade unions said the matter had to be addressed through proper legislation.

At the meeting, three trade union bodies and one representing employers put forward their views on the matter and their recommendation on what should to be done to address the problem.

The General Workers’ Union submitted a study showing there were about 19,000 people facing precarious working conditions.

Deputy general secretary Michael Parnis said 12.4 per cent of those questioned for the study felt their work was precarious and more than 51 per cent deemed their salary inadequate for today’s cost of living.

The union was proposing appointing a Commissioner for the Equality of Work who would look into reports of precarious working conditions and scrutinise public tenders.

Forum, a group of 12 trade unions, proposed awarding public tenders to two contractors rather than one, with the first-choice bidder completing 70 per cent of the work and the second doing the rest. This method, according to president Paul Pace, would reduce the possibility that workers are offered precarious working conditions and also gives the Government a way out if a contractor is caught abusing.

He said Forum was also proposing that public tenders would stipulate minimum hourly rates that companies must observe when paying workers.

Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin general secretary Josef Vella said there had to be a distinction between what was precarious and what was illegal. He noted disagreement among unions and employers on the issue, saying this was because there was nothing setting the parameters and the extent of the problem and not even a proper definition of precarious employment, making it difficult to pinpoint an effective solution.

He said that, for work to be considered as precarious, the abuse had to be premeditated, continuous and collective, affecting more than one worker.

He urged other social partners to agree on a definition and get this reflected in the law before addressing the issue through other measures that could include more effective controls and enforcement.

However, for the Malta Employers Association director general, Joe Farrugia, the issue was a storm in a teacup.

He argued throughout his presentation to the social partners that the problem in Malta was limited when compared with other countries.

He insisted that there was no need for further legislation because what the unions were describing as precarious was already illegal, including paying people below the minimum wage, issuing fake payslips or precluding any employee from joining a trade union.

“I appeal to everyone to be realistic and see the matter realistically and don’t make it seem as though this is a really big issue,” he said.

The social partners will meet again on Monday to discuss the individual reports.