A law binding all low-income workers to join a union would be a good initiative, Moviment Graffitti has said.

The NGO said that it has become aware that the Government of Malta is currently considering enacting such a law. "As a leftist organisation, we believe that in principle this would be a good initiative, with the main goal of affording workers the possibility to be part of a union and hence, protected by it and participant in its actions."

"Many workers in Malta are not unionised, especially workers who are employed in low-income jobs (at around 11% back in 2018 for the food and retail industry were unionised). Mandatory unionisation would provide guaranteed protection, especially to those workers who are currently facing exploitative workplaces, contracts and poor levels of health and safety. It is common knowledge that many workers in low-income jobs may be afraid or discouraged to join a trade union. Moreover, we hope that by being part of a union workers will find the courage to fight for their rights and participate in collective bargaining."

However, Moviment Graffitti also believes that union membership on its own will not eliminate exploitation and indecent conditions of work.

"We are aware that this proposal could lead to the creation of phantom unions. Employers might coerce low-income workers to join phantom unions - set up by themselves or in agreement with third-parties - or enter collective agreements which benefit them more than the workers. If the proposed mandatory unionisation is passed, the law should prohibit employers from creating such unions and establish systems to prevent and detect such abuse. Government should also implement regulations and policies to enhance the strength of collective agreements and introduce sectoral agreements."

Moviment Graffitti said that it has consistently tasked the government with revising employment laws in Malta. "Particularly, we believe that Third Country Nationals (TCN) who are currently at the mercy of their employers should have better protection and working conditions. It is unacceptable that TCN workers' residency permits are completely tied to their employment and issued for one year only."

"The proposed mandatory unionisation will be ineffective if this draconian law is not scrapped or heavily revised. On the 1st of May of this year, when launching our campaign Justice for Workers, we demanded that government should remove administrative measures that were leaving many migrant and TCN workers susceptible to exploitation. Mandatory unionisation alone will not address the forced vulnerability of TCN workers created by current unjust laws regulating their residency in Malta."

Moviment Graffitti said that while it agrees in principle with mandatory unionisation for low-income workers, it believes that government should develop a strong legal framework that upgrades and protects the rights, pay and conditions of workers in Malta. "Workers have to be at the centre of this proposal, by giving them a strong voice and protection at the workplace."