Category: Archive – 2012

Are the Directives still relevant? Have they
fulfilled their objectives? GRTU EU & International Desk
Coordinator Abigail Psaila Mamo has this week attended a meeting in Brussels on
the Evaluative Study of the Part-Time Work (PTW) and Fixed Term Contracts (FTC)
Directives.

Both the PTW and FTC
Directives resulted from framework agreements drafted by social partners at EU
level, signed some 15 years ago. The Directives have similar objectives, mainly
aimed at non-discrimination, preventing abuse and equal access to opprtunities
and information between on the one hand part time and full time workers and on
the other hand workers on fixed term and those on permanent contracts.

The European Commission,
though an independent consultancy carrying out research within the member
states, is seeking to analyse the level of implementation and the relevance of
the Directives today. Should the results of the study be negative, the
Commission might consider making changes in the Directives to address certain
lacks, which however might lead to disproportionate protection of workers and
more rigid labour market regulations, which we as employers' representatives
are against and therefore argues that the Directives should remain unchanged.
The report by the consultants has not yet been concluded, however preliminary
results indicate that a revision might not be required.

The employers
representatives agree with this conclusion as we feel that implementation was
effective and successful and the scope of the Directives are still clear and
relevant so there is no realistic need for further initiatives in this regard
at EU level.

Representatives at the
conference agreed in general that most problems related to PTW and FTC emanated
from national legislation and not from the Directives. The Governments in the
MS therefore should provide clearer information and address certain problems in
their law directly.

Employers have also
exchanged views on an issue being pushed by trade unions. The unions are saying
that PTW is a form of precarious work and that workers are forced into it as
they prefer full-time employment and full time employment is the ideal type of
employment. Employers disagree with such position. We see PTW as very
important. PTW increases access to the labour market for unemployed persons. It
provides the highly needed flexibility to employers but most especially to employees.
PTW also plays an important role in the attempt at balancing work and private
life.

A number of Member States
have gone further in the implementation of the Directives by introducing
additional initiatives providing further protection.

Till now the study has
outlined that 6 countries have registered significant changes in part-time,
while 11 countries have registered moderate. 8 countries have registered
significant changes for fixed term, while 14 countries have registered
moderate. It has also become evident that since the Directives started being
implemented clarity amongst employers and employees increased. For fixed term
greater flexibility was also registered.

The study is still
ongoing and the final results will be available in October.

The European Central Bank has
cut its main interest rate by 0.25% – to its lowest ever level. It means that its main
rate is now at 0.75%, the first time it has been below 1%. Mario Draghi, the
president of the ECB, said that he broadly welcomed decisions taken at the
European Council and eurozone summit last week (28-29 June). He refused to
comment on the possibility of further long-term refinancing operations (LTRO),
cheap loans to banks that were credited with restoring some calm to financial
markets at the beginning of the year.

Charges for using a mobile phone
abroad will be significantly reduced thanks to new EU rules negotiated earlier
this year. Checking e-mails, surfing
the web and making calls while on holiday became cheaper from the weekend.

From 1 July, the newest
EU rules against high roaming charges came into force, with cap prices for
calls, SMS and internet use on the mobile.

According to the new EU
law, prices for using mobiles phones abroad will be lowered to 29 cents per
minute for calls and 70 cents per megabyte for internet access in July 2012.

They will be further
reduced to 19 cents per minute for calls and 20 cents per megabyte for internet
access by 2014.

In addition, users will
be allowed to choose a different operator for roaming which is expected to
bring about more competition.

Most operators are
already starting to offer roaming packages for travellers in response to the
new law.

The new charges were
welcomed by the "Europeans for fair roaming" group which has lobbied
for further lowering of roaming charges with the support of 20 associations, 14
MEPs and 150,000 people.

The commission originally
proposed prices of 50 cents per megabyte in 2014. Effort from the European
Parliament and different stakeholders however managed to get them down to 20
cents per megabyte. This shows that determined citizens can have a real
influence on European politics.

In the meantime, MEPs and
EU member states rightly stepped in to ensure that customers get a fair deal
instead of a nasty bill shock at the end of a trip abroad.

Holidaymakers will also
be able to benefit from cheaper prices for mobile internet services while
staying in touch with family and friends back home over email and social
network sites.

Cloud computing: EC workshop
tackles contract terms

The European Commission organised a workshop this week in
Brussels to identify safe and fair terms for consumers and small firms in
contracts for "cloud computing", the use of software and other ICT services
over the internet. Speaking at the event, Enterprise Policy Director Luc
Hendrickx stressed that SMEs need neutral and understandable information to
take up offers for cloud computing services. As the data that could be stored
"in the cloud" are often crucial for the continuity of the enterprise, minimum
data security standards and proportional compensation clauses in case of data
loss should be introduced. A balanced and easily accessible alternative dispute
resolution system would also be needed for conflicts over contracts, he
concluded.

Carbon allowances: SMEs worried by
"backloading" proposal

UEAPME has recently published and sent to Members of the
European Parliament and to the European Commission a position paper on the EC
proposal to set aside or to withdraw temporarily ("backload") EU carbon
allowances from the market in 2013-2015. Although the so-called emission
trading scheme (ETS) for greenhouse gas allowances mostly affects industries of
a bigger size, such a decision could also have negative effects on SMEs, for
instance in terms of higher energy prices or loss of supply and subcontracting
opportunities. Therefore, UEAPME stressed that the ETS should continue to
operate as a market instrument, and called for a comprehensive impact
assessment of the proposed changes. UEAPME will monitor the developments on
this file in the ongoing legislative procedure.

Public image of entrepreneurs must
be redressed

Enterprise Policy Director Luc Hendrickx spoke  in Brussels at the "Young European
Entrepreneurs Seminar 2012" organised by the European Economic and Social
Committee. The public image of entrepreneurs must be redressed to encourage
this career path, he stressed. Governments should promote respect for risk
takers and discourage the negative conception by the public and the media of
entrepreneurs as greedy and self centred individuals. Actually, making money is
rarely the first reason why entrepreneurs start their own business. Financial
support to set up private businesses and boost self employment is clearly
needed but is not sufficient, continued Mr Hendrickx. In fact, training in
management competences is equally essential for a successful business. Last but
not least, the creation of private businesses is positive but cannot be seen as
a tool against unemployment, he concluded.

GRTU Council Member and Vice president EU and
International Michael Galea this week met the Consul for Trinidad and Tobago,
Mr John Hadad. Trinidad and Tobago, even though bigger than Malta are also
islands and so the representatives discussed the similarities, including the
fact that they were all once British colonies.

The population is three times
the size of the Maltese population. Tourism is also important to Trinidad and
Tobago however their strength is in oil and gas, that directly and indirectly
contributes to 80% of GDP. Mr Hadad said that they were aware that these
resources were not unlimited and therefore little by little they are trying to
switch their dependency on tourism. In addition to this they are
environmentally conscious and they are therefore trying to apply the Swedish
concept, where the revenue from the oils are being reinvested into
sustainability.

Cyprus has taken over the EU's
rotating six-month council presidency only days after it became the fifth
eurozone country to receive a bailout for its ailing financial sector. Cyprus
insists its presidency agenda will not be overshadowed by its request for
financial assistance, despite its banks struggling under the weight of huge
losses on their investments in Greece.

European commission
European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund auditors arrived in
Nicosia yesterday to begin an assessment of the struggling country's needs.

Cyprus' president
Demetris Christofias called for budgetary discipline in the EU to be
complemented by a "strong growth strategy", saying that
"austerity-only policies have not proven successful", says the
broadcaster.

Cypriot government
officials are hopeful that the island would avoid the kind of harsh austerity
measures endured by other bailout countries, with Nicosia very keen to retain
its 10 per cent corporate tax rate.

The Cypriot government is
also sounding out Russia and China over possible bilateral loan deals, as its
junk credit rating status prevents it from trading on international debt
markets.

Meanwhile, the UN and EU
have expressed frustration that Nicosia has announced that it plans to put
reunification talks with northern Cyprus on the "back burner" while
the country concentrates on its presidency duties.

EU enlargement
commissioner Štefan Füle has urged Cyprus to maintain the peace process saying
that there was "no contradiction" between a successful EU council
presidency term and continued reconciliation talks.

Il-Malta-EU Steering and Action
Committee (MEUSAC) flimkien mal-Awtorità ta' Malta dwar ir-Riżorsi, se
jorganizza laqgħa ta' konsultazzjoni dwar il-Komunikazzjoni tal-Kummissjoni
Ewropea ‘Pjan ta' Azzjoni dwar l-Enerġija sal-2050'. Dan il-Pjan jiffoka fuq
it-tnaqqis tal-emissjonijiet tal-gassijiet b'effett serra madwar l-Unjoni
Ewropea (UE), fil-kuntest tal-mira ta' tnaqqis ta' bejn 80% u 95%
fl-emissjonijiet tal-UE sal-2050, filwaqt li fl-istess ħin tiżgura s-sigurtà
tal-provvista tal-enerġija u l-kompetittività.

Il-laqgħa ser issir bil-MALTI nhar l-Erbgħa, 11 ta'
Lulju 2012, fl-10 ta' filgħodu, f'Dar l-Ewropa, 254, Triq San Pawl,
il-Belt Valletta.

Biex tirreġistra, inti
ġentilment mitlub tibgħat l-interess tieghek lill-MEUSAC sa mhux aktar tard minn nofsinhar
tat-Tlieta, 10 ta' Lulju 2012 fuq l-indirizz elettroniku .

Why
did you become an entrepreneur? Coming
form families in business, both on my side and that of my husband, business was
always in me. I always felt I wanted to do something for myself and an
opportunity came!

How
have you come to choose your line of business?

We
had a family friend who owned a skip services company in the UK and they were
not doing so well and I jokingly told them that they should come to Malta. They
took me seriously and 6 months later they were in Malta. First the business
comprised only of skips and waste collection and later we developed it to
incorporate the collection of separated and recycled waste.

Where
did you go on your last holiday?

Belgium
to see my daughter. I don't like the weather but it's a nice place, different
from Malta.

What
is your earliest memory?

When
I was young my father was in business so he used to work long hours and my
mother used to take us children for a walk in the country.

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

I
would like to be a Prime Minister so that I could make the changes I think
Malta needs.

The GRTU, in collaboration with
MCAST and MEPA, informs you that anyone carrying out such services is required
to participate in a training exercise, through courses leading to a
certificate.

Commission regulations EC No 842/2006, EC 303/2008 and EC
307/2008 require all individuals involved in the installation, maintenance and
servicing of fixed refrigeration and air conditioning equipment or which is
installed in motor vehicles, to attend such a minimum qualifications
certificate issued by a body approved by MEPA.

These regulations distinguish between the various types of
individuals providing such services into categories and specifies what type of
activities are allowed.

The courses are provided free of charge. In preparation for such
courses a questionnaire needs to be completed by each and every individual
carrying out such services within the company. For a copy of the questionnaire
kindly contact Ms Carmen Borg at GRTU on or 21 232881.
Deadline for submitting the questionnaire is 12th July 2012.

Should you require any further clarifications or details in this
regard you can also contact Anthony Aquilina at MEPA on the following e-mail
address : or on tel. No.
2290 7229.