Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green Party is pleased to note that the
Government has put into force the necessary amendments in labour
legislation which will give more protection to workers who were often
constrained to register as self-employed. AD has urged the
authorities to address this problem on various occasions.

Angele Deguara, AD Spokesperson on Social Policy, said, “AD is glad
that the Government, following consultation with the General Workers
Union, has finally put into place new legal amendments to the labour
law (EIRA), amendments which were necessary to protect certain workers
who did not have the necessary protection by the law as it stood,
often leading to the creation of precarious working conditions. As it
stood, the law permitted employers to recruit workers for long-term
services not as employees but on a self-employed basis. Thus workers
were constrained to register as self-employed even if they worked for
the same employer on a regular basis, using tools provided by the
employer and unable to determine their working hours themselves. With
the new amendments, workers who satisfy five out of eight outlined
criteria would have to be engaged on a full-time indefinite contract
rather than forced to register as self-employed. AD has drawn the
attention of the authorities to this anomaly more than once and thus
it welcomes these changes as a positive step in the fight against
precariousness and worker exploitation. AD also appreciates the work
done by the General Workers Union in this regard.”

Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson and spokesperson for Economy and
Finance, said: “This legal reform is a positive development in the
struggle against precarious employment. AD fully supports calls by
progressive unions and NGOs against exploitation of workers. AD’s
manifesto will be containing various other proposals in this regard”.