Government paying service workers below minimum wage, says Labour deputy leader

Labour deputy leader Anglu Farrugia has denounced the government for employing 2,935 workers indirectly through contractors, who are paying them less then minimum wage salaries.

Farrugia said cleaners and security officers employed in government departments through service contractors are being paid less than €5.60 an hour, the minimum wage, because government is picking tenderers who charge at less than the minimum wage.

“These contractors are changing less than €5.60 an hour. For example, the government pays the contractor to the Pharmacy Of Your Choice scheme just €4.90 an hour , which means these employees are being paid even less an hour,” Farrugia said.

Farrugia said such precarious employees could be found everywhere in government departments that were employing people through service contractors, and places such as the primary healthcare, the POYC, the Boffa, Mt Carmel and Karen Grech hospitals, the government pharmaceutical services, and the national blood transfusion centre.