Minister open to ‘cultural leave’ proposal for festa, carnival volunteers
Owen Bonnici says discussion must take into account other hobbyists
The government is exploring the possibility of offering ‘cultural leave’ to public sector workers who volunteer during village feasts and carnival, according to Culture Minister Owen Bonnici.
The proposal was put forward earlier this week by Labour MEP Daniel Attard, who, in a report, called on the EU to legislate for extra leave days for volunteers who “are the backbone of our intangible cultural heritage”.
Attard argued that many volunteers use their own vacation leave to build floats, make fireworks and organise feasts. Instead of spending that time with family and friends, he said, they sustain local traditions and identity.
Asked for his thoughts on the suggestion on Wednesday, Bonnici said that while a number of measures, funds and an action plan had already been put in place to support such activities, the idea of cultural leave for public sector workers was one the government would be exploring.
“We already have a framework that allows public sector workers to take special leave when they represent Malta at cultural events abroad. We are now analysing whether we can expand this to local events."
Bonnici said that in December he had held a technical briefing on the subject, during which he had received statistics on which any decision would end up being based.
“This is a broad discussion, since there are many hobbyists in the country, so we must move forward in a responsible and balanced way.”
In his report to the European Parliament’s transport and tourism committee (TRAN), Attard called on the European Commission and EU states “to propose a baseline framework for leave that enables individuals to engage in cultural volunteering”.
Vacation days are a shared competence where the EU sets minimum standards while individual member states define the specific entitlements. The Working Time Directive mandates at least 20 days of paid annual leave for all employers while Malta, for example, offers more than that because of its 14 public holidays.