Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1498223
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 APRIL 2023 NEWS Malta's female participation rate grows faster than EU's JAMES DEBONO JUST one year after joining the European Union in 2004, Malta had a female participation rate of just 34.5%. The rate grew to 47% in 2013 and jumped to 64% by 2018. But in 2020, it finally sur- passed the EU average when it reached 67%. The female participation rate measures the percentage of women who are in paid em- ployment. The gap between Malta and the EU continued to widen in the next three years as Malta's female participation rate climbed to 73.6%, com- pared to the European average of 69.4%. The recently published an- nual report of the national employment agency Jobsplus attributes this increase in fe- male participation in the la- bour market to successful gov- ernment policies, that come on the back of "a very successful market activation policy pack- age" that includes an influx of female foreign workers who supported this growth. One key factor contributing to the increased female partic- ipation rate was free childcare, introduced in 2014 for children aged from three months to three years of age, whose par- ents are either employed or in any form of education leading to a recognised qualification. 8,437 children were benefit- ting from the scheme in 2022, of which 4,029 were new ap- plicants. The number has been increasing from over 5,300 in 2016 to 7,300 in 2019. Af- ter declining during the 2020 pandemic to 6,700, it bounced back to 7,500 in 2021. Curiously, as female partic- ipation rates increased, part- time employment – an im- portant role in supporting the transition of inactive females back into the workforce by al- lowing better work-life balance – has been in decline. This said, part-time work has seen its share in the employment market decline over the years and now stands at a lower rate than European averages. While recognising the posi- tive trend of more women join- ing the workforce, Jobsplus still sees room for improvement, especially in relation to a lack of participation within specific age cohorts and the need meas- ures to address the gender pay gap. The report also refers to the sharp increase in non-Maltese working in Malta. Whereas the share of EU nationals remained stable at 13% of the gainfully occupied population, the share of non-EU nationals increased from 6% in 2017 to 18% in Au- gust 2022. This led to a reduc- tion in the share of Maltese workers of the total workforce by 11 percentage points, drop- ping from 81% in 2017 to 70% in August 2022. The increase has been most pronounced in the arts and en- tertainment sector where more than half of the workforce is non-Maltese. The sector in- cludes remote gaming. Other sectors where more than half of the workforce is non-Maltese are the accommodation and hospitality, and the construc- tion sectors. In 2022 Malta had a female labour participation rate of 74% compared to the EU's 69%, Jobsplus annual report shows MATTHEW VELLA THE tenants of a Gzira outlet rented to them by developer Michael Stivala of ST Hotels, also the president of the Malta De- velopers Association, have accused him of levying on them "usurious" penalties after they failed to pay rent in a timely fashion. The two Italian nationals were called on to pay Stivala over €260,000, which they said was an excessive amount representing a €700 daily penalty over and above their daily €220 rent, which they had failed to pay him on time. "This amount is not only totally dis- proportionate, but it constitutes usury," their lawyer told the Court. "The amount requested is too excessive in that it goes against the public order, and indeed illegal, intended only to abusively force the tenants into submission." ST Hotels rented out the outlet at 141, The Strand in 2018 to the firm Calice Ros- so, run by Italians Pablo Esposito and Maria Carriero, for a daily rent of €180. The daily rent increased to €200 and €220 (or €6,600) after each six-month period, and then again by 10% in 2020. The defendants failed to continue paying their rents and utility bills from April 2020, and after failing to respond to calls to pay their rent, were told they would be inflicted with a €700 daily penalty which, according to the rental contract, was liable when the rent is left unpaid after just seven days. After failing to agree on an amicable set- tlement, in which the Italians informed Stivala they were no longer principals of the Calice Rosso company, Michael Stivala lodged court action against the tenants. Lawyers for the tenants told the court that Stivala had no right to impose any penalties on them, because proceedings were now ongong in the Rent Regulation Tribunal, the forum tasked with settling urban rental disputes. "It's the tenants who have suffered the greatest damage here after having spent so much money to make the outlet usable," the defendants' lawyers told the court. The Court heard how Stivala had only referred to a first rental contract, when the defendants claimed that he had not referred to a private agreement in May 2020 – "a misleading omission" they said – to amend the original rental contract. "The defendants were no longer guaran- tors of the Calice Rosso company, as agreed with ST Hotels... this confirms that not only was there consent between all parties, but also a recognition that the defendants had relinquished their roles in Calice Rosso." In her decision, Madam Justice Anna Fe- lice referred to case law saying that given that proceedings were ongoing in the rent regulation tribunal, the matter had to be dealt with in that forum. She turned down the case, and ordered Michael Stivala to bear all legal expenses. Stivala accused of 'usurious' daily €700 penalty on unpaid rent Court throws out MDA boss's €260,0 00 request after tenants skipped their €220-a-day rent payment Michael Stivala