Żminijietna calls for pay transparency action from DIER

The Left think tank Żminijietna has called on the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations to clarify how Malta is enforcing the new EU pay transparency rules.

They also called on the department to confirm whether vague salary descriptions breach the new regulations.

"Pay transparency must be meaningful, not merely a formal right," Voice of the Left said. "Workers should not be expected to negotiate their value without knowing what an employer is prepared to pay, nor should they be required to disclose their previous salary."

Malta transposed the EU Equal Pay (Transparency and Reporting) Regulations in November 2026, joining five other Member States in doing so. The regulations require employers to give job applicants information on the initial pay or pay range for a position before recruitment is concluded.

Under the new rules, job adverts cannot use descriptions such as "competitive salary", "competitive salary package" or "salary depending on experience" without stating an actual salary or pay range.

The NGO is asking DIER to clarify whether such practices comply with Regulation 4 and at what stage in the recruitment process an employer must disclose the actual salary.

They are particularly concerned about employers who withhold pay information when applicants ask for it directly, only disclosing figures after an interview.

They affirmed their call for DIER to issue clear guidance to both employers and workers and to actively monitor compliance with the regulations. "Workers should not have to negotiate without knowing the salary on offer," it added.