AGREEMENT FOR CO-OPERATION BETWEEN MALTA AND THE ILO REGARDING THE ACCESSION PROCESS

AGREEMENT FOR CO-OPERATION BETWEEN MALTA AND THE ILO REGARDING THE ACCESSION PROCESS

"The Europe Office of the International Labour Organization (ILO) is ready to support the wishes of candidate countries to pave the way towards Europe. We state that the accession process is improving the better respect of good working and social standards. My talks with the Minister for Social Policy and with the representatives of the Social Partners in Malta has confirmed this experience". With this statement, Mr. Heribert Scharrenbroich, Assistant Director-General of ILO and responsible for ILO Policy in Europe and Central Asia, closed his three day visit to Malta.

The results of the three-day long talks were presented during a press conference by the Minister of Social Policy, Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, and Mr. Scharrenbroich at the end of the visit of the ILO Assistant Director-General in form of an Agreement of Cooperation.

Minister Gonzi stated that it is government's intention to strengthen all the processes which lead to worker empowerment. For this purpose a high-level tripartite conference of the 13 accession countries shall be organised in Malta in late September between the Ministry for Social Policy and the ILO. The objectives of this conference shall be to enhance the application of ILO and EU standards in the areas of employment and equal treatment of men and women by improving social dialogue.

The Minister added that as part of this co-operation agreement, the ILO shall advice the ETC on how to improve the adult retraining system, and for this purpose, the ETC will be invited to attend a workshop of experts in Kiev. Moreover, an advisory mission of the ILO shall support the setting up of the new Occupational Health and Safety Authority by preparing training for the official of the Authority and the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations. The Maltese Government shall also be invited to form part of the Safe Work Experts Meeting which will be held in Cyprus later this year.

Most of all, however, said Minister Gonzi, the ILO shall help the Maltese Government to review the concept of the MCED in order to strengthen the structures through which Social Dialogue takes place. For this reason, Minister Gonzi announced that an advisory mission lead by an ILO expert, shall perform a comparative analysis of the MCED experience to that of other countries. Possible amendments will be later discussed with the social partners so that elaborate proposals for a better forum on social dialogue will be advanced to the Minister for Social Policy.

"I am very glad how strong the Minister pointed out the interest of the government to strengthen the system of Social Dialogue by maturing the Maltese Council for Economic Development. The ILO is willing to offer international expertise to its constituents in Malta, as a well working Social Dialogue in a lot of countries plays an important role in reducing social tensions within a successful economy", the ILO official said.

Minister Gonzi thanked Mr. Scharrenbroich for the contribution, and underlined the importance of the agreed objectives of co-operation, which the ILO has committed itself to give to the Maltese government. Describing the talks held between government, the ILO and the Social Partners, the Minister for Social Policy, said that Mr. Scharrenbroich's visit was 'propitious', in the sense that the talks held have served to energise the spirit of social partnership.

The constituents of ILO in Malta and the ILO agreed to focus their cooperation on the following issues:

 AREA of FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS AT WORK

Objective 1: Enhancing the implementation of ILO and EU standards in the area of equal treatment of men and women

Activity: High level tripartite conference of the 13 Accession countries, organized by the Ministry of Social Policy and the ILO on Social dialogue and equal treatment at the work place (End of Sept. 2000)

AREA of EMPLOYMENT POLICY

Objective 2:Improving the vocational retraining system

Activity 1: To advice the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) how to improve the adult retraining system;

Activity 2: To attend a workshop of experts in Kiev in order to study the Modular System installed in Ukraine by ILO project.

Objective 3: Improving the Interpretation of Labour Market Information data.

Activity: Advisory mission from ILO Headquarters

AREA of SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICY

Objective 4:Support the implementation of the bill sitting up the new Occupational Safety and Health Authority in preparing training of experts like Officials in the Authorityandthe Labour Inspectorate, but also experts of employers and workers.

Activity 1: Advisory mission of ILO in order to elaborate recommendations in contact with Government and Social Partners

Activity 2: Invitation to the meeting of Safe Work Experts in Cyprus

AREA of SOCIAL DIALOGUE

Objective 5: Review of the Concept of the Maltese Council for Economic Development (MCED) in order to strengthen System of Social Dialogue on Economic and Social Policy.

Activity: Advisory mission of an ILO Expert in Order to compare the MCED experience with those of other countries and to discuss possible amendments with the constituents and to elaborate proposals to the Minister for Social Policy.

Activity: Exchange of experiences between the candidate countries for EU membership during the Malta - ILO meeting, about social dialogue, employment policy and equal treatment.