Seven organisations want the government to amend a new work-life balance law that they say is almost completely useless for working families.

Moviment Graffitti, the National Parents Society of Persons with Disability, Aditus Foundation, the Malta Women's Lobby, the Maltese Women's Rights Foundation, the Maltese Daddy and the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement stood outside parliament as MPs returned to parliament on Monday afternoon and demanded an upheaval of the law.

"This law was clearly rushed to meet a deadline but does not meet the needs of families," said Martina Farrugia from the Malta Women's Lobby, which is an umbrella organisation representing 14 women's organisations.

The activists were referring to a legal notice that came into effect on August 2, amending the Employment and Industrial Relations Act to enact the EU Work-Life Balance directive into local law.

Christine Cassar, from Moviment Graffitti urged MPs to amend the law. PHOTO: Chris Sant Fournier.

The changes essentially extended paid paternity leave from one day to ten days, introduced partially paid parental leave (two months of the current four-month leave will be paid at sick-leave rate) and granted parents the right to request flexible hours. 

Carers got five days of additional, unpaid leave a year to support a sick relative.

Malta was legally obliged to introduce the legal changes as part of an EU-wide 2019 overhaul of such laws, and did so at the last possible instance. 

Activists say that apart from the paternal leave measure, all the other measures introduced locally are half-baked, ineffective, and in some cases will even increase frustration among working families and widen the gender inequality gap.

They said that Malta had rushed to enact the legal notice on the eve of the EU's deadline, without consulting stakeholders.

"The measures are only the bare minimum just so that on paper, Malta seems to be conforming with the EU directive," Graffitti activist Christine Cassar said, adding that the law favours the employers more than the employees.

"Out of the four months leave that parents are entitled to, two months will be paid at the sick leave rate of €21.85c. Very few working parents will be able to afford to take this leave."

One of the EU directive's aims was to incentivise men to make use of leave in an effort to share family responsibilities. But as enacted, Malta's measures will only discourage men from doing so even more, they argued.

"Life has changed and fathers want to share family responsibilities too, but this law doesn't always allow them to afford that," David Muscat Fenech Adami, from The Maltese Daddy, said.

"Moreover, it has become impossible for most women to stop working after giving birth, and that is why we need to find a solution that works for both working parents."

David Muscat Fenech Adami from the organisation 'The Maltese Daddy', speaking outside parliament on Monday afternoon. PHOTO: Chris Sant Fournier.

The activists also criticised the government for providing just five days of unpaid leave per year to workers who care for someone.

"The measure sends out the message that care is not important and attributes no pay or value to it," Martina Farrugia said.

They also said the measure granting employees the right to negotiate flexible working conditions is ineffective because it comes with many strings attached, including the fact that it is restricted to parents of children under the age of eight.

They said the measure discriminates against working families who have older children.