Committee set up to strengthen Industrial Tribunal

The government has set up an advisory committee to kickstart the process of reforming the Industrial Tribunal. 

The Industrial Tribunal settles disputes between workers and employers, and plays a crucial role in ensuring industrial justice and safeguarding working conditions. 

The reform aims to establish clear legal parameters on the amount of compensation to be awarded to workers who have suffered injustices, and to ensure greater consistency in decisions handed down by tribunal chairpersons. 

The setting up of the committee was announced by Junior Minister for Social Dialogue, Andy Ellul, at a press conference on Wednesday morning. The committee is tasked with producing a set of proposals on how the Industrial Tribunal can be further reformed. 

Ellul said the committee would collaborate with the government to identify and develop necessary changes, while providing advice on restructuring the composition of the tribunal, analysing their legal framework and draft laws needed to modernise their operations. 

“Establishing clear legal parameters for calculating compensation awarded by a tribunal will reassure employers that when compensation is decided, there is clarity and fairness regarding the amount,” he said. 

Ellul noted that Malta’s labour market had grown significantly in recent years, resulting in almost full employment. While annual case numbers have not changed drastically, he said, the government believed this reform will help ensure quicker decision-making. 

He also highlighted how the labour market has evolved globally through technological advances and new platforms, creating new challenges.  

“The reform aims to prepare the tribunal to address such issues. It should not only have adequate resources to handle cases in a timely manner but also the capacity to address new and emerging labour-related questions.” 

Committee chairperson Christine Calleja. Photo: Jonathan Borg

The chairperson of the advisory committee, Christine Calleja, said the reform was intended to provide the tribunal with more resources, adding that there was a need to address several infrastructural and technological challenges and improve the speed of decisions and case hearings.