A landmark achievement for Malta’s social dialogue

It was a great honour and privilege for me to announce the setting up of the Low Wage Commission. This is a critical initiative aimed at providing recommendations for a revision of the minimum wage in our country by the end of this year.

This move comes on the heels of a historic agreement signed in 2017 between the government and social partners, which resulted in the first significant increase in the minimum wage in decades, surpassing the increases of the cost of living adjustment (COLA). As part of this agreement, the Low Wage Commission was created with a mandate to issue recommendations every four years, with the first recommendation expected by the end of this year.

To regulate the commission, specific legislation was enacted, which outlines its composition. The commission will be comprised of several parties, with the MCESD’s chairperson serving as the chair, and having representatives from unions, employers and the government.

It is noteworthy that this commission is designed to include a diverse group of experts, as reflected in the legal notice, which allows the commission to engage experts who can provide specific calculations and analysis when necessary. Despite diverse interests in the country, all of them are represented in this commission. Conflicting interests have arisen in the past, some being entirely opposing, but a compromise has been consistently reached and I am confident that this instance will not be an exception.

As the parliamentary secretary responsible for social dialogue, I believe it is crucial to ensure that the commission’s recommendations are fair and reasonable. The government represents society at large, including both workers and employers, and must ensure that workers receive a fair wage without imposing an undue burden on businesses. This is a goal that both workers and employers share.

Ten years ago, before we were elected to government, they used to tell us that a Labour government would freeze the minimum wage. However, we managed to build a national consensus to not only increase the minimum wage but also establish this commission, which will provide recommendations for minimum wage revisions every four years. Despite the international challenges we face, our country’s favourable economic climate allows us to pursue these objectives.

Therefore, the recent announcement is not only an essential step towards creating a more equitable and just society but also a significant milestone in the history of social dialogue in our country.

This move demonstrates the Labour government’s steadfast commitment to improve the standard of living for all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable members of society.

Andy Ellul, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue, Valletta

Lost case

Spelling error in a court notice.

I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to show our esteemed law courts and the judiciary in a bad light but, please, have at a close-up of this notice.

Note the word ‘cause’ for ‘kawża’ instead of case. 

Now this notice has been attached to the local council door for all to see for the past months.

And why nobody checked and noticed, starting from the law courts to the local council, says a lot.

Francis Sammut – Luqa