“How big must the group get before it’s called a national emergency and the government steps in?”
A human rights NGO has reported confusion over the eligibility of non-EU nationals to wage supplements amid rising calls for assistance from those who have lost their jobs.
Aditus director Neil Falzon told Times of Malta he had contacted the relevant authorities numerous times to find out whether these workers could apply for the government’s support packages, but nobody seemed to know the answer.
In the meantime, the number of non-nationals calling the NGO for assistance because they’ve lost income had risen, more people were becoming homeless and they were relying on the support of NGOs for food and other basics, Falzon said.
“We direct people to services where they can get a meal or where they can ask for emergency shelter, also giving advice on possible legal redress where they are able to claim wages. But this is not sustainable.”
On Friday, Aditus was one of the 36 NGOs calling on the government to set up an emergency food and shelter initiative for people facing hunger and eviction.
“Many in other NGOs are facing the same challenges, so it’s not just migrants but a growing group of vulnerable people,” Falzon said.
“How big must the group get before it’s called a national emergency and the government steps in?” he asked.
One union has expressed concerns about employers letting go of third-country nationals [from outside the EU] and instructing them to return to their country.
It is not within their rights for employers to do this, said Josef Bugeja, secretary general of the General Workers Union.
These foreign workers automatically lose their work permit once they lose their job but they have been given 10 working days to find a new job and apply for a new permit.
“When there is no representation by unions, we are seeing cases of third-country nationals being terminated by SMS, telling them not to come to work and to book a ticket back to their country,” Bugeja told Times of Malta.
“Or they’re being sent a letter telling them that their job is terminated and advising them to use the backdate of their salaries to book a flight home.”
Bugeja said that about 5,000 foreign workers were protected by unions.
“I can safely say that when there is a union involved, employers are happier to discuss and look for solutions rather than just terminating contracts,” he noted.