An ‘ejja ejja’ (get on with it) culture is prioritising speedy work over health and safety on construction sites, according to a study by the Church’s Justice and Peace Commission.

The Church body interviewed 40 people in the industry as it tried to analyse why there has been an increase in serious accidents on construction sites. 

Between 2019 and 2022, 25 people died on construction sites in Malta, including worker Jean Paul Sofia whose death led to an ongoing public inquiry.

Commission president Daniel Darmanin said in a news conference on Wednesday that the present construction is reminiscent of the metaphor of the Tower of Babel, where workers were punished for the loss of bricks but the death of a person was considered normal and of little consequence.

“I see similarities in this metaphor with today’s situation where we are building more towers, perhaps symbols of our arrogance, intending to garner more power and strengthen our economy,” he said.

“People are working like slaves without anyone sparing a thought for their wellbeing. If the country seriously wants to have a construction industry that respects the rights of its workers and provides safe working conditions, there is first a complex reality that must be addressed.”

The main findings of the study were derived from semi-structured interviews with 40 people holding various jobs and titles within the construction industry.

One worker called Yaya said: "In my current workplace, they have started making pressure. Till March 2023 we have to finish because the government wants to inaugurate the project."

Another worker from Sudan, who has been in the industry two and a half years, said bosses and supervisors "don't care" about the worker.

"All he cares about is fast, fast, fast," he said.  

'Safety takes time and time costs money'

The principal author of the study, Mark Cachia, said the rushed culture and fast-paced rhythm of the construction industry has negatively affected workers because their safety is no longer a priority.

Measures such as training workers in health and safety and making sure that they have the language skills they need to communicate on the job are being overlooked, he added.

“Safety takes time and that time costs them money,” Cachia said.“When safety becomes secondary it is the workers who end up paying the price.”

An electrician, called Vikram, who works for a contractor, said: "It's not possible to follow the regulations because when you follow the safety regulations, it makes you slower. Putting on gloves and glasses takes more time."

Cachia also described how respondents in the interviews said that finding an employer who treated them well and cared for their wellbeing was like a “game of chance” and that construction workers are often at the mercy of their employers when it comes to ensuring that safety practices are in place at work.

The state of enforcement, Cachia added, is also contributing to the problem, as there are no effective deterrents for those who break the law, giving rulebreakers an unfair advantage.

“Those who do not respect health and safety regulation have a competitive advantage over those who do because they are not spending time money and effort on health and safety and are either able to offer a better price or garner a bigger profit,” Cachia said.

“This creates an unlevel playing field between operators and it is not fair on those trying to follow the rules nor is it fair on workers."

The commission made the following recommendations in light of the study’s findings:

• Use tax and policy to reduce safety risks associated with unrealistic deadlines
• Wokeres unions should make efforts to include foreign workers and advocate for a rights-based approach
• Provide cultural sensitivity and bias training to frontline stakeholders
• Strengthen the provisions of health and safety courses
• Research the effects of machismo culture on the health of construction workers
• Re-evaluate work permit regulations and immigration laws disempowering migrant workers
• Increase resources for the OHSA
• Make insurance coverage a pre-requisite for contractors seeking to be licensed

The full study can be read on jp.church.mt/ejja-ejja/