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MaltaToday 13 July 2022 MIDWEEK

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3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 13 JULY 2022 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK NEW fathers will be receiving 10 days paid leave, while new parents can ben- efit from up to two months paid leave, under new laws reforming Malta's pa- ternal and parental leave laws. Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul announced on Tuesday that fathers will benefit from 10 days of fully paid leave, as opposed to the single day of leave offered by the current law. Regarding parental leave, parents will now be entitled to two months paid leave at the national parental leave rate. They will also benefit from anoth- er two months of unpaid leave which will be transferable from one parent to another. Parental paid leave can be taken gradually across the first eight years of parenthood. In the first four years, the parents have to take 50% of the paid leave, or four weeks total. Between the fourth and sixth years, parents can take two weeks paid leave. The remaining two weeks of paid leave can be taken between the sixth and eighth years. Parents will also have the right to ask for flexible working arrangements for the first eight years of their children's lives. "Once we introduce this in the law, it will be reflected in worker cotnracts and collective agreements," Ellul said. The legislative package will come in- to effect on 2 August. Government will finance all the measures until 2023. As from 1 January 2024, the private sector will have to finance its share. Carers leave Government will be introducing a new legal concept called "carers' leave", allowing parents to take unpaid time off to take care of an ill family member. Such workers will be able to benefit from five days unpaid leave. This form of leave will be available when a parent or worker has someone in the family who is unwell and needs caring for. It will also be available for people to take care of someone living in the same residence as them. Since this is a new form of leave, this will not be taken from their own per- sonal or sick leave. EU Work-Life Balance Directive The legislative package is a transpo- sition of the EU directive that grants European citizens several minimum rights for work-life balance. At a minimum, the directive requires at least 10 working days of paternity leave compensated at the national sick pay level, as well as a minimum of four months parental leave with parents en- titled to compensation for at least two months. Carers leave and the right to request flexible working arrangements are also features of the directive. As an EU Member State, Malta was required to transpose the above measures into law by 2 August this year. Nationalist MEP David Casa, who was the European Parliament's lead negotiator of the Work-Life Balance Directive, said that the law will grant unprecedented rights for Maltese and Gozitan families. However, he pointed out that the law revision was being announced "just days before the transposition dead- line". • Fathers to receive 10 days paid leave on birth of their child • Parental leave will be split into two months paid leave and two months unpaid • Carers' leave introduced for workers caring for loved ones • Parents will have right to request f lexible working arrangements for first eight years of child's life Fathers to get 10 days paid leave on the birth of their child in law revision KARL AZZOPARDI THE police are still investigat- ing alleged odometer fraud by importers of Japanese cars, a spokesperson for the Corps told MaltaToday. In an exclusive report, Mal- taToday had revealed how hundreds of consumers un- wittingly bought second-hand Japanese cars with tampered mileage gauges, in a racket in- volving at least two car deal- erships - Rokku Autodealer of Għaxaq and Tal-Qasab Auto- sales of Qormi. Research by this newspaper showed discrepancies ranging from 30,000km to 130,000km between the original mileage and the one registered in Mal- ta. Scores of customers have since reached out to this news- paper with details of how they were defrauded when buying second-hand cars. Last week, consumer rights minister Julia Farrugia Portel- li said more than half of the people who lodged a complaint with the consumer author- ity, after being duped into buy- ing cars with tampered odom- eters, have been compensated. "Half of the cases who filed a complaint have found a solu- tion with the car dealers who sold them the cars," she said in an interview on television sta- tion FLiving. Farrugia Portelli said 36 out of 82 complaints have reached a settlement with the car dealers. She said the remaining 46 are still being in- vestigated. Farrugia Portelli remarked that for now, no case has been deferred to the consumer tri- bunal, as the reconciliation process is still ongoing. Despite an ongoing investiga- tion by the authorities, sources have said the two dealers are yet to be interrogated by the police. On Monday, this newspaper reached out to the police for an update on the investigation. "Kindly note that Police in- vestigations are still ongoing and therefore it's not prudent to divulge further informa- tion," a spokesperson replied. Questions on whether auto dealers involved in the alleged racket have been interrogat- ed by the police, and whether the authorities plan to charge anyone in connection with the case, remained unanswered. Police will not say if anyone is to be charged for odometer fraud, says investigations are ongoing Roderick Vella of Rokku Autodealer of Ghaxaq Chris Spiteri of Tal-Qasab Autosales of Qormi

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