Chris Fearne said on Thursday the government is laying the groundwork to ensure employees contracted through temping agencies within the private sector receive the same pay as those who are not engaged through third-party companies. 

The Minister for Equality was addressing a conference organised by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality marking this year's International Woman's Day.

In his address, Fearne noted that among the lowest-paid people in Malta are so-called temporary workers, who are employed through contractors.

Most temps are women, doing clerical, caring and cleaning jobs, he noted.

In recent years, the government introduced measures within the public sector that ensure temps receive a salary that is equal to that paid to people who are employed directly by the state. 

Fearne said there were thousands of such workers employed by the private sector, including in factories and offices, and the government - in collaboration with the Department For Industrial and Employment Relations - was laying the groundwork so that such measures were also implemented by the private sector.

While everyone - not just women - would benefit from such measures, Fearne said implementing equal pay for equal work would continue decreasing the average wage gap between men and women. 

Legislation changes will be implemented in the coming weeks, he said.