The Malta Chamber on Friday called on the authorities to open urgent consultation on all matters related to Covid-19 and industrial relations and business.

It noted, that a meeting of the Employment Relations Board called for Monday was cancelled shortly afterwards, much to its disappointment.

On Friday morning, it said, scope for discussion seemed to have been restored but the meeting was now transferred to the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development to an even later date.

Business, the chamber said, needed clarity and so did employees and although the health and welfare of employees was the foremost priority, damaging effects on businesses and jobs had to be mitigated. 

“The Chamber, being aware of the fact the situation is escalating in other countries and regions insists that time is not on our side. The situation is crying out loud for clarity, calm, common sense and consistency,” it said

It said it took note of a government directive for employees returning from affected areas and countries to self-quarantine for 14 days and that anyone travelling to affected countries after February 28 would not be eligible for quarantine leave. 

“Urgent dialogue and consultation are required in the interest of national health because measures taken in the public sector must be complementary and applied in the private sector.

“Complementarity is crucial to deal with likely situations whereby a quarantined person working in the government sector lives in the same household as someone else whose work in in a private business,” the chamber siad.

It said several other issues needed clarity and urgent resolution and reiterate its call for urgent discussion to bring about guidance to employers based on common sense and sound measures that are applied at a nationwide level.