Malta Chamber of Commerce specifies right to request remote working, four day week, as concerns

Proposals such as the “right to request” remote working, and the concept of a four-day work week, are among the issues which the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry is concerned about.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce President, William Spiteri Bailey, on 2nd May published a letter he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela and PN Leader Alex Borg, airing concerns over proposals emerging from the two parties.

In the letter, the Malta Chamber President said it is “with serious concern that we are observing that certain proposals being issued in the context of the current electoral campaign, if implemented, would directly harm the business community and, ultimately, the Maltese economy as a whole.”

Without specifying which measures the Chamber is concerned about, he said that short-term, politically-driven measures that ignore economic fundamentals, distort labour markets, or impose additional burdens on enterprise are “not only misguided – they are reckless.”

In response to queries sent by this newsroom later, the Chamber said that its concerns relate to several proposals put forward by both parties, “which at this stage appear to have been presented without comprehensive analysis to understand their impact on productivity and long-term competitiveness.”

In particular, the Chamber said, it refers to proposals such as the introduction of a legal “right to request” remote working, flexible hours, compressed work arrangements, and the concept of a four-day work week.

“While these initiatives may offer benefits in certain contexts, their implications for output, labour supply, and operational continuity require careful assessment, especially in light of the ongoing regulations and measures imposed on employers.”

When productivity and competitiveness are lacking, employees also suffer, the Chamber said. This means that businesses must remain sustainable to ensure that their employees are protected, it added.

“Individually, these proposals may be well-intentioned. However, taken together, they represent a substantial increase in recurrent expenditure and labour market obligations, without sufficient clarity on how productivity improvements will sustain them.”

The Chamber said that it believes that the current debate is heavily focused on distribution, with insufficient attention on wealth creation. “This can be achieved through productivity, digital transformation, skills alignment, and efficiency in public administration.”

The Chamber said that it is always ready and available to consult with the Government of the day and the party in Opposition.

In terms of the proposals specifically mentioned by the Chamber, Prime Minister Robert Abela had on 1st May said that a re-elected Labour government would start discussions with social partners about a right for workers to ask their employers to switch to remote working, flexi-time or a compressed week.

The idea of a four day week had been brought back into public debate by PN Leader Alex Borg in October of last year, who said he was willing to pilot project the idea within certain government departments, and that if there is an increase in efficiency, productivity and returns, it would create incentives for the private sector.