Malta must transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive into national law by June 2026, and by June 2027, the Maltese government has to publish its first pay gap report as mandated by the directive.

The directive was the subject of a two-day conference, held Thursday and Friday, hosted by Eurocadres, the council of European professional and managerial staff, in collaboration with the General Workers' Union.

"Employers must recognise that pay transparency is not a burden, but a necessity in ensuring a fair workplace," GWU general secretary Josef Bugeja said. 

“At the same time, governments have to ensure strong enforcement and accountability on these rules, with trade unions continuing to take the lead in ensuring workers are informed, protected and empowered to claim their rights.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul, who addressed the conference at its opening, said the Pay Transparency Directive represented a crucial step towards equality at work.

Ellul explained how it will be compulsory for companies and employers to inform jobseekers on salaries and pay ranges and will be required to take any corrective actions on such information, allowing jobseekers to be provided information on their salaries.

Additionally, workers will have the right to request information on average pay levels for similar roles, while larger companies with more than 250 employees will be required to report annually on the gender pay gap in their organisation to the relevant national authority.

“This will not only promote equality but also reinforce the principle that ‘work of equal value deserves equal pay’," Ellul said.

Eurocadres President Nayla Glaise said this text "should reach as many workers and workplace as possible".

“We have a great opportunity, it is up to us to seize it,” Glaise said.