PN-MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa welcomed the government’s strong opposition to changes in the EU Working Time Directive with regard to overtime.

Last week, Malta formed a blocking minority with the UK, Germany, Estonia and Holland to stop changes that would limit the right to overtime to just eight hours per week.

Under current legislation, workers have the right to “opt out” and work for more hours. The Austrian Presidency took note of this opposition and declared that no agreement was possible.

“EU law gives workers the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to overtime,” said the PN-MEPs in a statement. “This right does not belong to employers or to trade unions or to the State. It belongs to the individual workers. And this is how it should stay,” they said.

Last year, on a proposal from the Socialist Group, the European Parliament approved an amendment seeking to remove the opt-out and limit overtime to eight hours per week. However, a group of countries, including Malta, are now blocking this change in the Council of Ministers.

“We welcome Minister Louis Galea’s bold stand in favour of Malta’s national interests,” the MEPs said.

“Unlike wealthier EU countries, Malta is not yet ready to do away with flexibility in its labour market. Until it is, we must hang on to the right of workers to decide if they want to work more than 48 hours per week, if they agree to do so.”

Busuttil and Casa recalled how, prior to Malta’s EU referendum, the Malta Labour Party had said that, as a result of membership, workers would no longer be able to work overtime.

“Just days before polling day, the MLP conducted a scare campaign on overtime in a bid to secure a rejection of membership. Not only was this false but, three years down the line, workers still have the right to decide on overtime. Not only was this a massive electoral ruse but, ironically, it is now the European Socialists themselves, of which the MLP is a member, that want workers to give up overtime,” they said.

“Thankfully, a number of countries, including Malta, are resisting these moves,” they concluded.