The General Workers Union has proposed the setting up of a Committee for Quality Employment which will deal with precarious work, secretary general Tony Zarb said Thursday.

Unions have been accused of blowing the issue out of proportion, he said, but this is not the case. A survey carried out by the GWU among 390 employees showed that 12% of them have a precarious job with sub-standard conditions.

Most of these workers were either cleaners or care workers and when one considers that there are about 10,000 people employed in these sectors the problem is indeed worrying.

He said the union will be presenting a document on precarious work at the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development meeting to be held on Monday.