The wage supplement ought to be extended until at least March of next year, according to the Malta Chamber of SMEs, which also called for revision of the amount paid by the government for those forced to take the special quarantine leave.
The CEO of the Malta Chamber of SMEs, Abigail Mamo, said when contacted on Thursday that while the extension of the wage supplement until January was a “step in the right direction”, businesses needed to plan ahead, so the wage supplement should be extended until at least the end of the first quarter of the new year.
She called for a holistic plan that would look at how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting particular sectors which required more help than others.
A change of heart
Earlier this month, Mamo said she saw no need for the wage supplement to be extended beyond the end of the year and disagreed with the Nationalist Party’s calls for an extension to March.
However, her position has since changed because the infection numbers and the effect the pandemic was having on businesses was now “completely different”.
“We need to assess the situation and come up with a holistic plan. Is the wage supplement still enough? Do we need to revise it upwards?
“With mass quarantine, many businesses are not only struggling to make ends meet but are also seeking to recruit people to replace quarantined staff who are also receiving their full wage.
“Some enterprises will not see their business restarting until summer, so we need the wage supplement to continue until at least the end of the first quarter,” she said.
The government has decided to extend the wage supplement scheme till the end of January but has not ruled out extending it.
Quarantine needs to be more sustainable. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work
Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli pledged to continue to protect workers and businesses during the pandemic.
“We will provide the necessary, targeted help where it is needed the most,” Dalli said. “That is what this government has always done and we will continue to ensure that we are there for our workers and businesses.”
Mamo said extending the wage supplement till the end of January “means nothing” to many businesses which are struggling and still paying their employees the full wage.
She said she was not envisaging the closure of businesses as a result of the rise in cases but many were finding it difficult to continue operating due to the large number of employees in quarantine.
“The government gives employers a pittance to cover those employees on quarantine leave so this definitely needs to be revised. It’s just €350 for the entire 14-day period so it’s about time this is increased or else reduce the quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated. It needs to be more sustainable. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work,” she said.