A rise in the incidence of skiving in a community work scheme in Gozo run by the General Workers’ Union has prompted a clampdown to ensure that those engaged give their full eight hours of work.
The workers in the scheme are assigned to local councils across the island. It is a Jobs Plus agency programme aimed at helping participants move on to better jobs but it is managed by a GWU foundation which is paid €1 million a year to do so.
Sources said councils across Gozo recently filed complaints that the problem of skiving was getting out of control and surprise inspections were carried out.
Many workers were not found on site and while others did carry out the work assigned to them, they would fit in private jobs during working hours, such as at people’s houses, sources said.
Several councillors said the problem of skiving had always existed but that it seemed to have got worse since the change of minister in January.
Questions sent to Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, who took over from Justyne Caruana, remained unanswered.
The inspections, including those carried out as recently as last week, have led to disciplinary action being taken against some of the workers who were not found at their assigned stations. Some had a day’s pay docked from their minimum wage. Others have been issued with warnings.
Many workers were not found on site and others fit in private jobs during working hours
Times of Malta has not been provided with figures but understands the problem has become widespread among the scheme’s more than 300 workers in Gozo. Monitoring is still going on.
Kenneth Cutajar, chief executive officer of District Operations, the GWU company that is managing the Community Work Scheme, said when contacted that control measures had now been introduced to improve the performance and output of workers assigned to local councils.
“The Community Work Scheme Employment Foundation is committed to ensure that workers assigned with local councils and other organisations contribute to the community to ensure the continued success of the programme,” he said.
“In order to monitor workers’ output, and in line with an understanding reached with local councils, we request that all local councils forward in advance a weekly work plan for all CWSEF employees deployed with them.
“We also request that recipient entities submit photographs of the work performed by the assigned employees working under their supervision.”
Cutajar said this was not the result of an investigation but rather “part of an ongoing effort to monitor performance and employee output, thus ensuring that the project continues to deliver good value”.
The Community Work Scheme was launched in 2009 in a bid to help individuals get some work experience and position themselves better when looking for a job. The initiative has been successful in helping individuals find work throughout the years.
Between 2009 and 2016, the scheme operated by paying 75 per cent of the minimum wage and social benefits. But workers were still receiving less than the minimum wage so in 2016 the government started paying the entire minimum wage.
The scheme, however, is widely perceived as a roundabout way to give a government job to people promised favours on a constituency level.