Malta’s public sector is not overstaffed, but investment in upskilling workers is urgently needed, General Workers’ Union secretary general Josef Bugeja has said.
He argued that with a growing and ageing population, sectors like healthcare and education will require more – not fewer – nurses, carers, and teachers. Downsizing, he insisted, would be counterproductive.
However, in an interview with this media house, Bugeja acknowledged the need for worker training, noting that the GWU anticipated future technological changes and began linking competence to pay scales years ago. Today, the union runs a dedicated branch focused on AI, digitalisation, and intercultural skills development.
Bugeja was also asked whether the summer half-day policy for public administration staff should be scrapped, given that most private sector workers work full days and rely on public services.
Bugeja said that as far as he knew, only 30% of public administration workers – not public sector workers, have summer half-days, accumulated through extra hours in winter. Others, like healthcare and passport office workers, work based on demand, Bugeja said.
“Flexibility and the art of compromise are the key,” he said.
Bugeja said that when supermarkets began opening on Sundays, existing workers were allowed to maintain previous schedules, while new hires adapted.
On traffic-reduction measures, Bugeja emphasised the “art of compromise.” He said GWU members involved in delivery services are already raising questions on the recently announced government measures to curb traffic, and that discussions with government and businesses are ongoing to define off-peak hours.
He said that he will not advocate for 2pm, for example, to be included as an “off-peak hour,” as in summer, health authorities advise the public not to go out in the sun between 11am and 2pm, for health and safety reasons.
“No one should be working in that heat. Public health must be considered,” he said, ruling out 2 pm as an acceptable delivery time.
He pointed to sectors like customs that already operate 24/7, saying that others can adapt with the right agreements.
Asked whether workers operating during off-peak hours will receive extra pay, Bugeja affirmed that this will be part of the negotiation process.
“If someone is working anti-social hours, the union will see to it that they get extra remuneration,” Bugeja said.
However, Bugeja said that the perspective that all government workers work with summer half-days is “absolutely false,” and said that he has no problem with summer half-days, and he will not be the one pushing for the system to change, saying that these workers are, “not taking anything from someone else.”
Collective transport for industrial areas
The traffic problem, Bugeja said, is everyone’s responsibility, because everyone is part of the problem.
“We complain about traffic, yet we will not ditch our cars. It is often our first investment, and we depend almost exclusively on it,” Bugeja said.
Bugeja said that the GWU has proposed collective transport for workers in remote industrial zones like Hal Far, which are not reachable by public transport.
A pilot project showed success, but companies with the capacity for vehicles remain limited, Bugeja said.
He said that workers asked for a reliable, affordable, and punctual service, and the goal is to extend the initiative to Bulebel, Mriehel, and Mosta, covering all industrial areas.
Reforming the MCESD
The GWU is part of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD). Some critics have said that the council lacks impact, but Bugeja disagreed.
“It is not a talking shop,” he said. Bugeja said that the MCESD was vital during discussions on the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2023 summer power cuts, for example.
He said that the MCESD meets nearly three times a month and influences policies, such as the Labour Migration Policy.
The council is now being reformed to become more relevant and better resourced, Bugeja said, adding that to make the MCESD more effective, there will be discussions on legislation to make the council more relevant for today’s realities.
He also said that social partners like unions and employers need more expert support to put forth researched proposals and adopt informed positions.
Bugeja spoke of the GWU’s longstanding push for a national vision, which led to the government adopting it into Malta’s 2050 Vision, a strategic plan which must be a shared vision, and encapsulates the nation’s aspirations.
Labour Migration Policy
Bugeja said the Labour Migration Policy, when implemented, will strike a balance between the need for foreign workers in various sectors and oversupply.
“Employers must first try to hire Maltese or EU workers. Only if unsuccessful should they turn to TCNs,” he said.
Bugeja said that, however, the mistake made was that everyone was bringing in many foreign workers, wherever they may be from, whether the sector needed it or not.
“It does not stop at just bringing in the worker. That worker needs a guaranteed adequate pay and decent conditions,” Bugeja said, otherwise, “we would be truly bringing in slaves.”
“We need foreign workers in various sectors, which also depend on foreign workers,” Bugeja said, adding that there are around 100,000 to 120,000 foreign workers in Malta.
He said that there are critical sectors, such as the health sector, which also need foreign workers. Bugeja said that the Maltese demographic in the country is decreasing, and so there are fewer people to work such jobs.
He also said that the Maltese also learn that they can aspire for better jobs than certain jobs that foreign workers end up taking up.
“Our mentality as a public is also that we teach our children to do better than us, that they have a guaranteed better future,” Bugeja said, adding that it is inevitable that the Maltese do not want to do the jobs foreign workers usually do.
He said that over-recruitment leads to deteriorating conditions, and some employers hold excessive power.
Previously, a TCN had just 10 days to find a new job if dismissed by their employer, or risk deportation. This was extended to 60 days through the Labour Migration Policy, where the GWU had pushed for an extension.
“Without that window, some turned to the black economy, where they are more exploited,” Bugeja said, adding that the extension also allows for a lower turnover of foreign workers, minimising those who are leaving only to bring another replacement.
He condemned exploitative employers who abuse foreign workers. “They are humans like us. I can never accept abuse,” Bugeja said.
Asked about the relevance of Workers’ Day, celebrated last Thursday, Bugeja said that this day is always relevant.
“We celebrate workers, not only for the advancements they made throughout the years, but for their past, present and future contributions, and the continuous work done today,” Bugeja said.
Bugeja concluded that Workers’ Day is a remembrance of what workers went through, and a commitment to keep moving and looking forward to the future.
Making the case case for mandatory union membership
Josef Bugeja said that only collective bargaining and mandatory union membership can stop the systemic abuse faced by both foreign and local workers.
The GWU’s proposal for mandatory union membership has raised concerns over freedom of association among several.
Bugeja said that the proposal allowed workers to choose any union of their liking and included an opt-out mechanism.
Bugeja said that the role of a trade union is defined as an organisation led by workers, for workers, and pushing forward workers’ aspirations. He said that collective bargaining is done solely by trade unions.
He spoke of widespread abuse at workplaces, and said that enforcement cannot keep up, and unionised workplaces have far better conditions.
Bugeja said that the EU’s Adequate Minimum Wage Directive calls for 80% of workers to be covered by collective bargaining, adding that the EU has recognised the importance of increased collective bargaining.
Especially in sectors like finance and insurance, where the gender pay gap is the largest of all sectors in the country, rising to 14%, he said
“In heavily unionised sectors, that gap doesn’t exist. Laws and obligations are respected,” Bugeja said.
He addressed the issue of “free riders” and said that even non-members of a union benefit from collective agreements, rightly so, as Bugeja said that the GWU negotiates collective agreements for all workers in that sector.
However, he questioned which organisation provides services for free, and said that the GWU wants everyone to contribute, either through membership or a payroll levy.
A new image for trade unions
Bugeja said that the perception that unions only appear or get involved during industrial actions must be changed.
He described ongoing consultations, including how US tariffs could impact Maltese workers.
Bugeja stressed that unionism today is collaborative, not confrontational, and that “given the exploitation we see, organising in a union is reasonable”.
He cited cases of long working hours, unpaid contributions, lack of safety gear, and even fabricated injury claims to avoid employer liability.
“Even Maltese workers suffer. This is why we want mandatory membership, with opt-out flexibility,” Bugeja said.
Bugeja said many TCN communities engage with the GWU and express their fear of retaliation from their employers.
“Some arrive with family debts tied to their travel. They are scared to speak up,” Bugeja said.
He dismissed fears that total anarchy would ensue, noting that when unions for disciplined forces were first introduced, conditions actually improved and nothing fell apart.
Bugeja said that union membership is growing and changing and nowadays, many Maltese workers of all genders and ages, European workers, also TCN workers, are members of a union.
He said that more women are joining the GWU than males, and 7,000 to 8,000 TCNs are also members and representatives.
The GWU even partnered with Italy’s largest union to support Italian workers in Malta, Bugeja said.
“Our members and representatives are a reflection of the existing workforce,” Bugeja said.
Bugeja said that workers’ aspirations are constantly evolving and differ between professions.
For professionals, flexibility and work-life balance are key concerns, particularly the expectation to always be available, Bugeja said.
Meanwhile, lower-income workers are focused on earning more, seeking better pay to match the cost of living and social mobility, he said.
Platform workers, who previously had no rights, have now been granted official worker status, though implementation remains a problem.
“One of the roles of unions is to ensure what’s in the law and collective agreements is implemented,” Bugeja said.
He said that out of 82 companies that employ such workers, 29 companies have been brought before the Courts for failing to follow regulations regarding platform workers.
Some employers have deducted fuel and safety gear costs from wages and cited rampant increase in abuse, especially on TCNs.
“That’s why we’re proposing mandatory union membership. It’s a form of self-policing to prevent abuse,” he added.
Bugeja also noted increased anxiety among workers in the gaming industry and said that ultimately, all workers aspire for a better tomorrow.
Foreign workers: progress and gaps
Asked about the new government regulations for hiring foreign workers, Bugeja said improvements were made, but more remains to be done.
“We couldn’t even say they were workers before. They lacked basic health and safety protections,” he said.
The new directive, set to come into force next year, officially recognises platform workers as employees, entitled to collective bargaining and employer responsibilities, Bugeja said.
However, some employers are circumventing the law, and while many of these workers were receiving their minimum wage, other costs, such as fuel or for protective gear, had been reduced from their wage, Bugeja said.
He said that the GWU consequently held discussions with the director at the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) and pursued legal action to ensure rights are upheld.
“Some workers were promised €1,000 salaries, only to find they must work 12 hours daily, seven days a week. That is illegal and harmful to their health,” Bugeja said.
He criticised the need for constant enforcement: “We should not need enforcement if everyone obeys the law. Employers must be held to the same standards as workers,” he said.
