A local employer that subcontracts workers to companies working in some of Malta’s largest sectors has joined the Slave-Free Alliance, in a first for Maltese companies.
By signing up to the alliance, Ozo Group has agreed to have its processes regularly audited by the UK-based non-profit, to reduce risks of labour exploitation and modern slavery.
Slave-Free Alliance is part of the non-profit Hope For Justice and works with organisations to protect human rights in operations and supply chains.
“Slave-Free Alliance is delighted to partner with Ozo Group in identifying and mitigating the risk of labour exploitation and modern slavery in their business and supply chain,” said Slave-Free Alliance’s Rachel Hartley.
“We applaud Ozo Group for inviting our organisation into their business, and value their transparency in sharing their history and business model. This enables Slave-Free Alliance to accurately assess and support their efforts in addressing exploitation, highlighting areas of risk as well as best practice,” Hartley added.
The partnership was announced on the same day as the signing of a new collective agreement between Ozo Group and General Workers’ Union.
Ozo Group hires workers from across the world and subcontracts them to companies within the hospitality and care sectors. All employees undergo in-house training before being deployed to their respective workplaces.
CEO Fabio Muscat said Ozo Group was already the first Maltese company in this industry to sign a collective agreement with the GWU back in 2014, providing workers with a consolidated set of rights over and above those required by law.
Now, this collective agreement is being renewed alongside the partnership with Slave-Free Alliance.
Muscat noted that the company had to pass an independent review in order to be approved as members of the alliance and said he was proud to be raising the bar for protecting employees within the local market.
: Mary Grace Calleja (Shop Stewart), Mario Muscat (Ozo Group Chairman), Kevin Abela (GWU secretary for food hospitality section), Josef Bugeja (General Secretary GWU), Rachel Hartley (Consultancy Director Slave-Free Alliance), Fabio Muscat (CEO Ozo Group)“We are committed to implementing robust measures, rigorous audits, and comprehensive training programs to ensure that no employee in our organisation, or anywhere in the industry, falls victim to modern slavery,” Muscat said, as he called on all industry stakeholders and policymakers to address this issue more collectively.
Muscat also welcomed the government’s announcement to introduce regulations governing agencies like Ozo Group. “It is clear that our economy needs foreign workers. Without these human resources, not only our hospitality industry, but our healthcare and necessary services would grind to a halt. These regulations will benefit the market and will help weed out abuses,” he said.
Ozo Group’s HR director noted that the company pays employees more than the minimum wage and also offers them three days of leave in cases of personal loss, including the loss of an unborn child.
General Workers’ Union Secretary General Josef Bugeja said the GWU had spent 80 years helping to shape the social and economic landscape of Malta through collective bargaining and social dialogue.
Bugeja said Ozo Group’s affiliation with Slave-Free Alliance was “an example for all players in the service industry”, and underscored the group’s commitment to ethical labour practices, human rights, and the eradication of one of the gravest injustices that plague our world today.
He added that the GWU is currently in discussions with the government and other social partners to draft new legislation to regularise service providers and eradicate abuse.