Abela promises new remote work rights and €5,000 learning fund

Robert Abela promised that a re-elected Labour government would start discussing with social partners a right for workers to ask their employers to switch to remote working, flexi-time or a compressed week.

Businesses willing to participate will be given help for every worker who switches to remote working.

Abela made the pledge at the Labour Party’s traditional Workers’ Day rally on Friday, which held more significance this year as Malta is at the start of an election campaign that will culminate on May 30.

A Labour government will also launch Individual Learning Accounts – a fund for every child that the government will contribute €500 a year for 10 years.

The funds can be used to cover up to a maximum of €5,000 in costs to enrol in educational courses, accredited training and upskilling initiatives later in life.

If a person graduates and wants to undergo a course to improve their skills, they will be able to use this fund to cover the costs.

A sea of red and white at Castille Square for Labour's May Day rally. Photo: PL

The Labour Party is also pledging that former members of the disciplined forces that receive a service pension will be entitled to any yearly budget top-up in full and not just the COLA increase.

In another pledge, people working part-time and paying tax at 10% will only pay that rate on the first €15,000 they earn, up from the €10,000 threshold.

For self-employed part-timers, their 10% threshold will go up to €20,000 from €12,000.

Earlier in the rally, the party’s deputy leaders Alex Agius Saliba and Ian Borg told supporters that the Labour Party is the only party ready to turn their dreams into reality.

Agius Saliba praised Abela for facing unprecedented challenges head on, be they a pandemic or a war.

Meanwhile Borg name-dropped both Joseph Muscat and Dom Mintoff to big cheer and chants from the crowd.