Food couriers employed by operators within the Malta Delivery Fleet Operators Association will be given stronger employment rights, fixed monthly salaries and improved working conditions under new collective agreements signed with the General Workers' Union.
The agreements, described as a necessary step for Malta and Gozo's food delivery sector, establish a clearer framework of rights and obligations for workers and operators.
They follow months of negotiations between the GWU and the MDFOA, after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two sides last November.
Among the main changes is the introduction of a fixed monthly salary, replacing the commission-based payment system, together with a basic rate above the national minimum wage.
Couriers will also be entitled to paid annual leave, sick leave, overtime payments, statutory bonuses and premium rates, according to the terms of the agreements.
Workers will no longer be required to cover costs linked to uniforms, motorcycles or other equipment needed for their work. Wages will also be paid directly into employees' bank accounts, bringing an end to cash payments.
The signing was presided over by Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment Jonathan Attard, Minister for Sustainable Mobility Chris Bonett, and Minister for European Funds, Social Dialogue and Consumer Protection Keith Azzopardi Tanti.
Attard said the agreement was an important development for the food courier sector, adding that it should help improve workers' conditions while ensuring fairer competition among operators.
"This is a very important development for the food courier sector where not only are we ensuring that there is an improvement in the conditions of all workers, but one also hopes that this development will now spread throughout the sector to ensure that there is a level playing field," he said.
Attard added that operators who respect workers' conditions should not find themselves at a disadvantage within the sector.
Azzopardi Tanti said the agreement showed "great maturity" from the parties involved and reflected the importance of social dialogue.
"We are introducing modern governance structures that guarantee transparency and mutual trust. This is the way forward that government believes in, a forward-looking economy where, in order to move forward as a nation, we must move forward together," he said.
Bonett described the agreement as a "win-win" for workers and employers, saying it provides better protection for couriers while giving operators more certainty.
"The worker wins, who is given better conditions and more protection, and the employer also wins, who makes an investment and takes a risk," he said, adding that the agreement could open the door to similar arrangements in other sectors.
GWU Deputy Secretary General Kevin Abela said the signing marked an important step after months of negotiations and challenges.
"These workers who were always in the shadows and never came to the forefront of the discussion will finally get what they deserve," he said.
Abela also said the agreements send a clear message that food couriers deserve recognition, respect and protection, adding that dignity at work is a fundamental right for all workers, regardless of their sector.
The GWU said most food couriers employed by operators who signed the agreements are now members of the union, a development it said strengthens collective representation and gives workers a stronger voice.
MDFOA President Jusef Meli said the agreement places workers at the centre of the sector and gives practical effect to the commitment made through last year's memorandum.
"What we are achieving today is a major step forward for our industry," Meli said, adding that the agreement creates a mechanism to strengthen workers' rights while ensuring compliance across the sector.
Meli also appealed to other operators in the food delivery industry to join the initiative so that all couriers may benefit from the same standards of protection and working conditions.