Author: SME Chamber

Whole-Time Employees

— 2011

Age	Whole-Time Weekly Rate
18 years and over	€153.45
17 years	€146.67
Under 17 years	€143.83

 

— 2012

Age	Whole-Time Weekly Rate
18 years and over	€158.11
17 years	€151.33
Under 17 years	€148.49

Part-Time Employees

The national minimum wage of part-time employees shall be calculated pro rata at the same hourly rate of a comparable whole-time employee in accordance with the relevant Wage Regulation Order (WRO). In cases where a WRO is not applicable, the pro rata is calculated using the weekly National Minimum Wage applicable for a comparable whole-time employee, divided by forty.

Where a WRO applies:

Weekly Minimum Wage of a comparable whole-time employee as per applicable WRO

Weekly hours of work of a comparable whole-time employee as per applicable WRO

 

Where a WRO does NOT apply:

Weekly National Minimum Wage applicable to a comparable whole-time employee
40

The relevant minimum wage may be determined from the economic activity of the enterprise as stipulated in the applicable WRO. The  information  provided is intended for general information only, if you require further details under which sector your organisation is classified kindly contact the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations.

Nine new EU directives are in place ensuring better product safety for a wide variety of products. The sectors concerned are electrical and electronic products, lifts, measuring instruments, civil explosives, pyrotechnic articles and equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

With these directives, market surveillance and customs officers will be in a better position to check the safety of products using more effective tools. In addition, Member States can improve the supervision of monitoring bodies that check the conformity of products with EU law, for example ensuring that the CE marking has been properly applied by manufacturers. In future, producers, importers and distributors will profit from uniform trading conditions. At the same time this process will further improve the safety of products on sale in the EU and make it easier to keep
non-compliant products off the market. This will lead to increased consumer trust and reductions in administrative burden and costs:

For more information:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/single-market-goods/regulatory-policies-common-rules-for-products/new-legislative-framework/index_en.html

The Malta-EU Steering & Action Committee (MEUSAC) together with the LIFE+ National Contact Point will be organising a consultation session on the recently published Commission Communication on the future of the LIFE+ Programme from 2014 onwards (COM 2011(874)). LIFE+ is the successor of LIFE which was launched in 1992 as one of the spearheads of EU environmental funding. This fund has a total budget of €2,143 billion for the period 2007-2013 and is open to all bodies that are registered in the EU, including the public sector as well as the private sector such as universities, research institutions and environmental NGOs.

 Venue: MEUSAC's premises, 280, Republic Street, Valletta

Date: Wednesday 18^th January 2012

Time: 10.00am-12.00pm

Should you be interested in attending kindly send an email on by not later than noon of Friday, January 13, 2012.

Why did you become an entrepreneur? I feel that entrepreneurship has always been in me and actually I was born in it as my family owned a business. I was also supported a lot and complemented by my husband. I have studied economics at university , which also pushed me towards my decision to become an entrepreneur.

How have you come to chose your line of business?

My husband is an artist and that is why I chose a line that is artistic as otherwise, if I hadn't met my husband I would have chosen to go into catering.

Where did you go on your last holiday?

In Italy, I went to the Castrocaro Terme. It was a very quiet holiday and I liked the place a lot, very unspoilt, with mountains and those type of things.

What is your earliest memory?

When I was two and a half my uncle passed away and I remember him dead at home surrounded with candles. That image impressed me a lot.

If you could chose to be someone famous who would you be?

I never thought about it. Don't think that I want to be anyone else although I'd love to have my son's witty sense of humour, my husband's artistic abilities, Vince Farrugia's business acumen the list goes on..nobody has it all. I'd say I'm quite content.

On the 30^th of November, Commissioner Antonio Tajani (DG ENTERPRISE) launched the European Toy Safety Campaign for 2011 intended to show how to get the safest toys, and how to use them safely, at Dreamland just outside Brussels.

Besides postcards with safety tips to be handed out to consumers all over the EU when they are buying toys, the Commission has also developed safety tips for consumers and a video campaign, which is to be aired on TV stations around Europe explaining the issues.

The Commission will be launching a new campaign in Easter and all retailers can participate this time. A separate email will be sent to the members on this campaing.

Postcards, Safety Tips and Videos can be found at the Commission website:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/toys/tst-campaign/index_en.htm

The list of the participating retailers has been published on the Commission website:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/toys/files/shoplist/list_shops-ms_en.pdf

On the 23^rd of November, the Commission published the Communication on the Annual Growth Survey 2012 accompanied by a progress report on the Europe 2020 Strategy. For 2012, the Commission considers that efforts at national and EU level should concentrate on the following five points:

Pursuing differentiated growth-friendly fiscal consolidation (includes tax reforms).

Restoring normal lending to the economy.

Tackling unemployment and the social consequences of the crisis.

Modernising public administration; enhance the performance of the civil justice system so that claims can be settled in a reasonable time frame – undue delay is costly for businesses and often means they are unable to take advantage of new business opportunities. In this context the Commission has indicated its intention to propose to improve the effectiveness of cross border insolvency rules.

Promoting growth and competitiveness for today and tomorrow; according to the survey, reform which improve the business environment and competitiveness should also be a priority. It mentions that the Europe-wide market is still too fragmented and that it does not allow firms to grow and enjoy the same economies of scale. Several framework conditions from access to finance to innovation capacities or regulatory obstacles are less conducive for firms to create and invest.

Examples of growth potential:

The EU Digital Single Market

Developing an EU market for secure mobile and online payment systems, improving data protection rules, promoting the use of public sector information. Reducing the costs and improving the quality of delivery of goods and services bought online, including through delivering sufficient level of consumer protection. Eliminating sales restrictions based on nationality or residence through guidelines on Article 20 of the Services Directive. Developing Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems to provide fast and reliable arbitration to consumers and businesses in case of dispute.

A real internal market for services

Full implementation of the Services Directive. Sector specific performance tests will be conducted and follow up measures will be adopted by the end of 2012 to ensure full harmonisation. Enhancing competition and competitiveness in the retail sector, reducing the barriers for the entry and exit of firms, and eliminating unjustified restrictions for businesses and professional services, legal professions, accounting or technical advice, health and social sectors.

The Common European Sales Law (CESL) is also mentioned as one of the key actions for adoption by end of 2012.

The Communication can be found it:

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/ags2012_en.pdf

The Annex can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/ags2012_annex1_en.pdf

On the 9^th of November, the Commission published the Proposal for the Consumer Programme 2014-2020. The programme aims to foster a Europe of active, informed and empowered consumers who can contribute to economic growth. The total budget will be EUR 197 millions over 7 years. The objective is to put consumers at the centre of the Single Market and empower them to participate actively in the market and make it work for them, particularly by:

Enhancing product safety through efficient market surveillance (monitoring and enforcing safety through RAPEX and developing cooperation with international partners to deal with the impact of the globalisation of the production chain on product safety).

The Commission is planning to simplify the funding process by establishing an EU level coordination body for market surveillance relating to safety. This body should be established in the context of the revision of the General Product Safety Directive in order to ensure streamlining of the funding procedures, better planning, coordination and information sharing between Member States' authorities. The body will not take the form of an agency.

Improving consumers' information, education and awareness of their rights.

Consolidating consumer rights and strengthening effective redress, especially through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Strengthening the enforcement of cross-border rights (e.g. Sweeps, CPC Network and ECC-Net).

In the annex to the programme, an overview of all the actions is given.

The Commission proposal can be found at:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0707:FIN:EN:PDF

The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) in collaboration with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) will be organising a consultation session on MEPA's proposal for an Environmental Permitting System with the aim of improving the current regulatory framework applicable for industrial activities of environmental significance. The proposed environmental permitting system will cover in particular:

Waste management installations e.g. inert waste landfills, material recovery facilities and civic amenity sites;

Sewage treatment plants;

Reverse osmosis plants;

Manufacturing plants;

Chemical and pharmaceutical plants;

Quarries;

Batching and asphalt plants;

Petrol stations;

Volatile organic compound (VOC) solvent activities e.g. printing, surface coating and drycleaners;

Shipyards, Marinas, sea ports, fish farms and airports; and

Hospitals and hotels.

Participants will also be given an update on the recent developments regarding the transposition of the new Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU). This Directive was already discussed during an information session organised by MEUSAC together with MEPA on March 21, 2011 for which relevant stakeholders were invited.

The session, which will be conducted in Maltese, is being held as follows:

 Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Time: 15.00 – 17.00 hrs
Venue: 254, Europe House, St Paul Street, Valletta

Points raised during the session will be taken into consideration in the drafting and finalisation of the legislation.

Should you be interested in attending kindly confirm your attendance at your earliest on

Kindly further note that for security reasons, you will be requested to show your ID card at the Reception to be allowed entry. Kindly send me your ID card number when registering your attendance so that I can forward a list to the reception beforehand. This will save time when signing in at the reception. It is of utmost importance to bring your ID card with you.

Vince Farrugia-GRTU DG & EESC Employers Representative – When the global economic and financial recession first hit Malta in 2009 Malta was saved from greater economic damage as a result of a combination of four elements. In the pre-recession period when the World Economy was awash with speculative money that was pouring in those economies that did not block the flood waters like Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain, Malta had in force monetary and legislative firewalls that prevented this kind of money to reach us.

In the property market the only speculative moneys that moved in were the substantial funds owned by Maltese who previously, fraudulently,  evaded  income and other taxation  and foreign exchange controls, and which funds  were then allowed in under that horrible Tax, and I say, fraud, Amnesty. Otherwise the fact that we managed relatively well with our own local funds ensured that while we were not subjected to exceptional international pressure we could also manoeuvre out of the recession relatively unscathed. And this is precisely the second element. Our size and our control on our macroeconomic imbalances both internal (government financial deficit) and external (international, the balance of payments current account) protects us from the uncontrolled reactions of the global money market.

The third element is the way Government has been managing the economy. In brief this is a steering away from the pressures of the international money market, high pressure to turn the economy through various incentives towards new forms of investments based on the knowledge economy. The incentives package brought forth the quicker emergence of an economy based on transhipment, light knowledge based manufacturing, tourism all-year-round based on niche markets, specialised service enterprises like e-gaming and professional back office  and enterprise support quality services, financial services and quality conventions and conferences,  as well as international trading and logistics, warehousing and logistic.

The entrepreneurs operating on the local economy and depending on local private and public sector consumption and the derived demand of the enterprises with an international clientele are increasingly being supported together with exporters of goods and services with assistance programmes in favour of renovation, restructuring and resizing. I believe that this strategy should be intensified now that there is a threat of another round of recession. We need to concentrate more on the restructuring of our enterprises in favour of more innovation.

We also need to manage and control our Banks better. In this regard I continue to stress that access to finance remains the major  hurdle of Maltese enterprise as they seek to grow and restructure.. The loan guarantee schemes for which GRTU has worked so hard are essential. But Banks remain loaded with excess liquidity as the Maltese level of savings remains high but a big chunk of this liquidity is moving, and very fast, abroad to the detriment of Maltese entrepreneurship and to the absolute importance of rapidly increasing our national output. Finally our important fourth element: our ability to manage our National Accounts.

We can as a result of our size identify the problems faced by exporters, tourism operators and others and indicate in a short period of time effective remedies that can be implemented fast enough to keep improving our competitiveness and keep our international macroeconomic imbalances in check . We can also manage our government Financial Budget tightly enough to ensure that our Balanced Budget EU directed strategy is achieved even earlier than planned.

Government should also speed up its capital investment programme. Government should not wait for the second half of the year to really start spending as the delay may cost us dearly if the international situation worsens and finds us unprepared with a readily planned capital investment expenditure. This expenditure will balance any shortfalls in private expenditure by increased public expenditure not in useless current expense but in worthwhile investment projects. 

The last thing Government in 2012 should do is to panic and submit to negativism and to panicky austerity measures. Politicians will do the country honour if they stop the ugly scenes of infighting that destabilise unnecessarily the local economy and cause strain and fear among consumers. Consumer confidence is important. As for stakeholders, I say that we have enough fora and where to present arguments and solutions to actual and not perceived problems.

We at GRTU are proud of the volume of solutions we constantly push forward. We can shout and bang in camera, but let us all keep the people out there concentrated on improving overall productivity and keep their standard consumption going. Our economy is as resilient as we can make it. We can face the challenge if we all really want to.