During a business breakfast organised by European Services in Malta (SEM), attended by representatives of social partners and civil society in Malta, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela was presented with a project report on strengthening social dialogue in Malta, carried out by SEM. The project was supported by the Norwegian funds, through the funding program, ‘Social Dialogue – Decent Work’.
The report includes the conclusions and recommendations of a comparative study of social dialogue models in Norway and Malta following a number of interviews with social partners and members of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD).
Minister Carmelo Abela, responsible for social dialogue, explained that social dialogue in our country is already strong and functioning well. With reference to this study which relates to both the model of social dialogue as we know it in our country, which has been in operation for about 30 years, and the one carried out in Norway which has been in operation for more than 100 years, the minister said that this is an opportunity to examine social dialogue in Malta in due course, so that it can be further strengthened. This following an improvement in the way the MCESD works through specialised working groups on current topics and with the help of experts and the full participation of social partners. Legislative improvements have also been made in relation to the way SEM works, also in the area of social dialogue.
Minister Carmelo Abela went on to explain that in our country social dialogue is effective at all levels – formal and informal. He said that the work of this government ensures that social partners, and all those they represent, are fully involved in the decisions taken in the country. The minister mentioned that in our country there are a number of forums where formal social dialogue is taking place. In addition to the MCESD, SEM also has a role to play in taking care of the consultative aspect at European level regarding legislative proposals and directives, as well as policies from the European Commission. In Malta one also finds the Employment Relations Board, which has a specific function regarding the field of work and the conditions of workers. Representatives of social partners, such as JobsPlus, the OHSA and the NSO, are also represented in a number of government bodies.
The minister explained that social dialogue also works in the context of the European Union. This is due to the fact that many social partners are represented on committees in the EU and therefore can influence certain decisions in favour of our country. The work of SEM stands out due to it conducting discussions and spearheading consultations in partnership with other ministries related to proposals made by the European Commission.
In his conclusion, the minister said that in the light of the recommendations drawn in this report, we need to look at what exists today to improve on it; with the objective of providing quality dialogue, and the outcome of social dialogue discussions at all levels always being of greater benefit to the country.
SEM’s Chief Executive Mandy Falzon spoke about the role of the SEM Agency in strengthening social dialogue in Malta. She said that SEM is one of the government’s bodies, the main function of which is to disseminate information on all matters relating to the EU. The Chief Executive explained how SEM ensures that discussions take place at various levels on how proposals for European Union legislation affect the interests of Maltese constituted bodies, social partners, civil society organisations, and public and private entities, to better understand how they are impacted by EU legislative proposals. In this way, they are enabled to give their feedback in the decision-making process at European Union level.
During his presentation about the conclusions and recommendations included in the report, Lawrence Zammit from MISCO Consulting mentioned, amongst other things, that there is a need for more discussions about topics which look to the future of our country. He explained that social dialogue in Malta should take a more proactive approach, and recommended that it focuses more on the results it wants to achieve and less on discussion, in order for it to be effective.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister