Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba has urged EU policymakers not to drag their feet in passing a directive that would grant workers across member states the right to disconnect.

On Thursday the European Parliament voted to adopt a report spearheaded by Agius Saliba that formally recommends that the European Commission propose a directive on the right to disconnect, a move that would see a minimum set of standards implemented in all EU member states.

“We’ve worked tirelessly on these resolutions for the past year and this vote was a win for workers across the European Union,” Agius Saliba said.

“Following these discussions with lawmakers and social partners, the Commission has a strong mandate to act and the message is very clear, start working on this today before tomorrow.” 

Agius Saliba was speaking at a press conference on Saturday where he was joined by General Workers Union general Secretary Josef Bugeja and UĦM Voice of the Worker general Secretary Josef Vella, at the Esplora Science Centre in Kalkara. 

The right to disconnect refers to legal provisions allowing workers to not answer work-related emails, phone calls or other such communication outside their working hours. 

The concept first took root in France in the early 2000s, after the Supreme Court there ruled that a worker not answering his work phone after he clocked off "cannot be considered as misconduct".

It has since drawn more attention as modern technology has facilitated communication and made it easier for employees to always be ‘on call’. 

Proponents of the right to disconnect say this has led to a degradation of quality of life and diminished rest time for workers.

Talks underway with government

Agius Saliba said that unions would be instrumental in implementing the right to disconnect locally and to negotiate on behalf of workers, with a degree of flexibility and in a way that is tailored to distinct professions.

He also urged the government to be proactive in implementing the spirit of the directive. Agius Saliba said he was optimistic, as discussions with the government had already begun.

MEP Alex Agius Saliba. Photo: Facebook

The government had said last November that it was in talks to see how the right to disconnect could be introduced locally. 

Speaking on Saturday, Bugeja said that globalisation and technical advancement in the workplace have been part of the GWU’s agenda for some time, but that the COVID-19 pandemic had pushed these issues to the forefront. 

“Throughout this process we have insisted that social partners are part of these discussions because the perspective of the worker is integral,” Bugeja said.

“We have to be certain we are building new workplaces that are better than before but don’t override the hard-won rights that our forefathers fought for.” 

Vella thanked Agius Saliba for his efforts in securing the vote, but added that work has not stopped and social partners would continue to push for a strong and clear directive that left no room for interpretation.

“On a local level discussions need to go on and involve the board of employment relations, with the government on the front line,” Vella said.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing this right so it’s our responsibility to analyse the legislation being proposed and find a balance between productivity and the rights of the worker.” 

“At the end of the day we have to keep human beings at the forefront and remember that people are not there to sustain the economy, but the economy exists so that people may enjoy a better quality of life.”