New amendments to employment laws which will increase penalties for employers who violate workers' rights were announced by Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul on Friday.

A government statement on Friday said that this electoral promise is being implemented in effort to enforce greater seriousness and enhance justice for workers, with harsher penalties introduced for employers engaging in abusive practices.

Ellul described the reform as another important step to ensure better protection for workers in Malta's labour market.

Ellul explained that up until now, there were situations where workers who suffered injustices, such as not being paid the full wage they were owed, being underpaid for overtime, or not receiving payment for public holidays, would only see their employer fined €232, even in cases where the abuse was repeated.

With this legal amendment, the penalties for those found guilty of breaking labour law will increase as follows:

In the case of a first-time offence, the fine will increase to a minimum of €2,000 and a maximum of €5,000, Ellul said.

In the case of a second or subsequent offence, the fine will range from a minimum of €5,000 to a maximum of €7,000.

Furthermore, Ellul said that the statute of limitations - the timeframe during which someone accused of a violation can be investigated and brought to court - will double from one year to two years.

This means workers will have more time to file complaints about labour law violations, and the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) will also have more time to investigate employers and initiate legal proceedings, he said.

Ellul listed a series of initiatives the government has undertaken in recent years to strengthen workers' rights, including the introduction of legislation regulating employment agencies, the food courier sector, and the increase in the National Minimum Wage, among other initiatives aimed at giving workers greater dignity and protection.

He said that this measure targets the broader employment sector, introducing stricter and more serious consequences for employers who do not comply with legal regulations.

"Government continues to take concrete decisions to safeguard and protect workers. With this measure, we are ensuring that justice for workers increases as we continue moving toward a high-quality country where only seriousness is tolerated," Ellul said.

He said that through these amendments to labour laws, the government is sending a clear message: that abuse against workers will not be accepted.

He said that government is committed to continuing to strengthen legislation so that workers' rights remain protected.

Director General of the DIER Diane Vella Muscat said that these changes are essential tools for the department's to enforce and ensure high standards of working conditions, so that worker protection is strengthened, and fair employment practices are ensured.