Last Updated on Tuesday, 6 October, 2020 at 9:33 am by Andre Camilleri
Carmelo Abela and Clayton Bartolo encouraged public and private organisations to adopt similar work systems for a digital and sustainable world.
Telework and remote working are part of our reality. This was the message of the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible amongst others for social dialogue and working conditions, Carmelo Abela and the Parliamentary Secretary for financial services and the digital economy, Clayton Bartolo during a visit to the Malta Gaming Authority Offices in Smart City, Kalkara. During this visit the MGA was commended for the successful operation of the remote working system while organisations in both the public and private sectors were encouraged to adopt similar work systems for a world that is pro digital and sustainable.
During this visit the Hon. Bartolo and Abela met with the management and some of the staff of the Malta Gaming Authority. He also had a virtual discussion session with some of the workers in different sections of the company, where they shared their experience of telework and remote working, the benefit they embraced from this procedure and how they have managed to remain productive and provide efficiency in their work in an organisation’s operating system based on key performance indicators.
In his speech, Minister Carmelo Abela stressed that discussions on remote working and the right to disconnect from work will continue. He also spoke on a post-Covid scenario. In the words of the Hon. Abela “In a normal scenario, this flexibility is also important as a step towards family-friendly working conditions. It also provides a level of flexibility and respect that should lead to improved productivity whilst benefiting the environment. Several new studies have shown that between a quarter and a third of all jobs in European economies could, potentially, be done outside the traditional workplace.”
He added that a remote working consultation exercise has started within the MCESD where a working group has also been set up. Abela stressed that whilst telework is regulated by a Legal Notice, the same cannot be said for remote work – that is, the practice where a person can work outside their home or even abroad. Therefore, the Minister said that he is determined to continue this conversation with the civil partners, in order to arrive at a legal structure similar to remote work. He concluded by talking about the concept of the right to take time off work and said that he believed it was very important for employers to recognise the need for rest and the need to take time off work.
Speaking on the occasion, Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services and the Digital Economy Clayton Bartolo, pointed out that apart from the regulatory role played by the Malta Gaming Authority, the latter is also an innovative driver in the field of remote working and teleworking. He added that in a country where the gaming industry accounts for about 13% of Gross Domestic Product, MGA has been a catalyst for this sector to continue working.
“I am very pleased that MGA has increased its productivity in recent months. This fills us with courage to create a digital society. I firmly believe that all the positive that we have achieved during this pandemic should remain with us for the future,” concluded Parliamentary Secretary Clayton Bartolo.
