Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has organized a high-level conference at the European Parliament in conjunction with the S&D group, in which Malta’s Labour Party is affiliated, on the need to implement the right to disconnect policy with great urgency.

Employees receive work-related messages 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a Labour Party statement said Thursday. The ever-increasing expectation of prompt replies is depriving workers of their free time outside office hours.  MEP Alex Agius Saliba observed “An ever-connected, always-on culture may lead to better profits for employers but negatively impacts the quality of life of the working class.”   The decreasing quality of life is caused due to unpaid overtime, stress, exhaustion, burnout, isolation, fatigue, and depression. In the Labour MEP’s own words “Employees should be able to say - no, not now - without fear of losing their job."

During the event, which was divided into two panels of distinct speakers, the European Trade Union Confederation and the European Public Service Union joined the Labour MEP’s call for immediate actions from the European Commission. The Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, said that the process of proposing legislation on the Right to Disconnect will start in the next few weeks with opening the stages of social partners consultation.  

MEP Alex Agius Saliba observed that the implementation of a Directive on the "Right to Disconnect" has become a matter of greater urgency following the increase in the practice of teleworking, which became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was organized as no agreement was reached in a meeting between social partners which was held last November. The European Parliament debated the matter in December and demanded that the European Commission takes over responsibility and proposes a Directive without further delay.  Alex Agius Saliba, who successfully led Parliament’s call for the Right to Disconnect Directive by adopting a legislative report on his own initiative, reiterated Parliament’s call for the Commission to adopt the directive immediately. 

"There is no more time to waste. Over 80% of workers receive work-related messages in their free time. Feeling responsible, wishing to stay 'on top of things' because it is expected, and fear of a negative impact are key reasons for workers to stay connected and to work during their free time and rest periods. We need an EU that protects workers and ensures they can enforce their fundamental right to disconnect from work and to have sufficient rest periods," concluded MEP Alex Agius Saliba.