Żminijietna – Voice of the Left welcomes the goodwill shown by the government together with the work of the General Workers’ Union to put into force the new amendments under LN 44 of the Employment and Industrial Relations Act.
The approved amendments will reduce the abuses that were taking place in the engagement of new workers on a self-employed basis. We belive that the act is a very important legislation to address the problem of precariousness in the labour market. In fact, the legal notice stipulates eight criteria, where if five of them are satisfied, a self-employed worker will have to be classified as engaged on a full-time basis on an indefinite contract, for the service given to his employer.
The eight criteria of which five have to be satisfied are as follows. The person depends on one single person for whom the service is provided for at least 75% of his income over a period of one year; he depends on the person for whom the service is provided to determine what work is to be done and where and how the assigned work is to be carried out; he performs the work using equipment, tools or materials provided by the person for whom the service is provided; he is subject to a working time schedule or minimum work periods established by the person for whom the service is provided; he cannot sub-contract his work to other individuals to substitute himself when carrying out work; he is integrated in the structure of the production process, the work organisation or the company’s or other organisation’s hierarchy; the person’s activity is a core element in the organisation and pursuit of the objectives of the person for whom the service is provided, and he carries out similar tasks to existing employees, or, in the case when work is outsourced, he performs tasks similar to those formerly undertaken by employees.
This is clear proof how important the work of the trade unions is for the country and society in general. It is important that the workers are organised in a trade union, as the main aim of these organisations is to protect workers and safeguard their conditions of work and standard of living.
■ Michael Camilleri
President
Żminijietna – Voice of the Left