Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 March, 2022 at 11:21 am by Andre Camilleri
RecruitGiant is the first service delivery fleet operator in Malta to adopt guidelines issued by the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER). These guidelines clarify employment regulations and the remuneration structure for couriers and delivery drivers.
Tomas Mikalauskas, Chief Executive Officer at RecruitGiant, said, “As everyone knows, the courier and delivery sector has experienced explosive growth in the past two years. This increase in demand has led to the proliferation of companies offering this service, including some who have taken advantage of a lack of clarity in employment law to behave abusively towards their drivers. We, therefore, wholeheartedly welcome DIER’s guidance and clarification which creates a benchmark for the industry. RecruitGiant is proud to be the first fleet in Malta to adopt these guidelines and we hope that other operators will quickly follow suit. Our wish to is to see an industry which operates on a level playing field where fleets compete for couriers by offering the best possible employment conditions rather than through dubious manoeuvres in possible breach of Maltese law.”
One of the main issues faced by the industry has been how to calculate hours worked by couriers and delivery drivers. In this respect, the new guidelines from DIER, based on an analysis of the average number of deliveries per hour across a full year and all delivery platforms, stipulate that 2.2 deliveries are equivalent to one hour of work. As a result, the standard of 173 hours of work per month for a full-time employee has been converted to a total of 380 deliveries. Once any driver exceeds 380 deliveries, they are immediately entitled to overtime at 1.5 times their normal salary rate. The guidelines have also clarified the structure for the renumeration of part-time drivers.
Mr Mikalauskas added that, “As an organisation which strives to achieve best-in-industry standards, we have always worked hard to give our employees the best possible conditions. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for all delivery fleet operators due to various grey areas in the law as regards to task-based work. Thanks to guidelines issued by DIER, all operators, drivers and users of these services can now be clear on what is required. Hopefully, this will translate into a better working environment for all delivery drivers in the industry which is fully in line with Maltese employment legislation.”
RecruitGiant is a multi-discipline, specialist recruitment company offering a partnership led approach with clients, candidates and contractors. Based in Malta, but with operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, the company offers professional recruitment services including payroll and outsourcing services to multiple sectors including construction, manufacturing, and service delivery.
More information is available at https://recruitgiant.eu/
