The ARESME project, initiated by the Malta Chamber of SMEs and five other social partner organizations across the EU, addresses the profound impact of new forms of work on labor markets. These include platform work, teleworking, and part-time schemes, which pose challenges to labor law, occupational safety, work-life balance, and gender pay equality. The project aims to enhance social partners’ abilities to address these issues through informed dialogue and negotiation.

Key objectives include analyzing the current state of affairs in partner countries, raising awareness of labor and occupational health and safety issues, addressing minimum wage and gender income gaps, and strengthening the capacity of national social partners. Target audiences include social partners, SME employees, employers, and the general public.

The project operates on a two-year timeframe starting from August 2023 but aims for long-term impact. It emphasizes providing tools and fostering good practice exchanges rather than delivering final products, with the goal of influencing decisions beyond its immediate target groups and geographic scope. Collaboration with European institutions and effective dissemination strategies are integral to achieving these objectives.