EU ‘threshold of decency’ would mean pay rise for 24,000 workers
An analysis by the European Commission shows that 24,323 Maltese workers would get a pay rise with the new EU directive on minimum wage
23 February 2021, 7:50am
by James Debono
Prime Minister Robert Abela visits a factory. Both parties in Malta are opposing the EU minimum wage directive. Photo: DOI
An analysis by the European Commission has shown that 24,323 Maltese workers would get a pay rise with a new EU directive setting an obligation to peg statutory minimum wage at 50% of average wages and 60% of median wages.
Both the government and opposition have opposed the directive, with parliament’s Foreign and European Affairs Committee arguing that the directive imposed a “one size fits all model” on a matter, which should remain a national prerogative.
The EU's climate adaptation strategy, due to be unveiled on Wednesday (24 February), will aim to tackle the human cost of climate change, both within Europe and around the world, amid calls from trade unions to reinforce protection for the most exposed workers.
Eurozone tries to patch up its broken debt rules
The bloc is under intense pressure to adopt a more flexible set of fiscal guidelines as Covid borrowing sends debt soaring
18 February 2021 • 10:00am
Since coronavirus struck, we have become used to the rules swiftly changing, with stiff penalties for breaching them too.
Britain’s fiscal targets, once known as the golden rules , are dead. The Chancellor is keen to get back to stable finances but is only expected to set out long-term aspirations in next month’s Budget.
On the continent, the problem is more pressing. The eurozone was founded on promises of financial restraint, codified in the Stability and Growth Pact.
THE European Trades Union Confederation (ETUC) called today for democratic control over the Covid-19 vaccination drive to avoid “vaccine nationalism” and prevent big pharma companies gaining a monopoly.
A recent dispute between the European Commission and AstraZeneca “showed just how little power democratic institutions have over the process, compared to CEOs answerable only to shareholders,” an ETUC statement said, adding: “The dangers of delegating responsibility for vaccines entirely to ‘big pharma’ have become clear.”
The row erupted last month after AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot insisted that he was contractually obliged to supply the vaccine to Britain.
This was disputed by Brussels, which reminded the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant that the European Union was investing €336 million (£297m) in AstraZeneca in return for 400m doses of its vaccine, the first 100m of which were expected before April.