TM on underpaid employees: not responsible for contractors' agreements

Transport Malta has denied being one of the government authorities paying its employees below minimum wage, but said it was not responsible for the employees engaged through service contractors.

Responding to accusations by Labour deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Anglu Farrugia over underpaid employees, TM said that when additional clerical services were required, contractors providing the services were paid rates that exceeded the national minimum wage.

“Obviously, Transport Malta ultimately pays the company providing the services and not the hired workers directly. Transport Malta therefore is not responsible for the wages or for the agreement made between the company providing the clerical services and its employees,” Transport Malta said.

Farrugia yesterday accused government departments of employing thousands of workers indirectly through contracts and paying them less than the legal minimum wage  of €5.60 per hour whilst also charging national insurance contributions.

Farrugia said that Transport Malta was one of the government entities paying less than the minimum wage for contracted clerical services.  

Farrugia had also included other government departments that were employing people through service contractors, such as the primary healthcare department, the POYC, the Boffa, Mt Carmel and Karen Grech hospitals, the government pharmaceutical services, and the national blood transfusion centre.