‘Don’t waste your time playing games’, Abela tells businesses seeking loopholes on foreign workers

Two governmental measures have been introduced in order to better control the Maltese labour market; the regulation of temping agencies and the introduction of a skills card in the hospitality sector, Prime Minister, Robert Abela, said on ONE Radio on Sunday.

He added that there will be a crackdown on working permits since Malta has enough foreign food couriers and Y-plate taxi drivers. Abela said that this is all in Malta’s interest and to safeguard Maltese workers who have been pushed out of their sectors.

Abela said that the pushback on foreign workers was not an “isolated decision”, rather a strategic one following a labour market analysis that showed what the country needs regarding foreign workers. He said that he had long been talking about these initiatives that will ensure the country has workers it needs.

Abela said that two measures were put into action; first the regulation of the temping agency sector that was previously unregulated. He said the second measure was the introduction of the skills card in the hospitality sector by which any foreign workers would have to be trained.

Abela said that there are those who are “populist” and believe Malta can do without foreign workers however he said that he was not only “realistic” but honest since Malta needs foreign workers, for example in the health sector.

Abela said that the government will take “ambitious not cosmetic” measures to ensure that Malta will have the workers the market needs and will ultimately give tangible results. He also pointed out that JosPlus wishes to carry out a review of the labour market from the perspective of economic migration.

Abela said that Malta has enough foreign food couriers and Y-plate taxis and stressed that work permits have been refused and will continue to be refused. He stressed that any agencies that will try to find illicit ways to bring over foreign workers, such as bringing them for a certain job then switching to a courier or Y-plate job, will be refused. Indeed, he said that “hundreds” of such dishonest permits have so far been refused.

Abela told such agencies, “There is no room for these games. Don’t waste your or the authorities’ time.” He added that the government is not “witch-hunting” this sector but rather strengthening and expanding “legitimate” and “serious” business in which they will invest and provide support, as they always have.

Abela said that these measures, which he anticipated will create a lot of noise, were implemented in order to be just with the Maltese workers who invested in the same sector however sometimes do not even manage to reach minimum wage. He said that for a few people to gain, many suffered and the government understands the needs of the many and will cater to them.

Abela concluded by asking for respect from the businesses and furthermore, discipline.

Speaking on tables and chairs, Abela added that enforcement actions have and will continue to be taken as they were in Pjazza San Gorg in Gozo and last week in Valletta.

He said that an exercise is being done among the competent authorities locality by locality in order to establish what permits one has so that where these same permits are not being observed, action is taken.