Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/803478
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 MARCH 2017 6 A company which in 2014 was investigated by the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations over the precarious employment of foreign workers is facing new claims by its em- ployees and is under investiga- tion over another six cases. JF Services Ltd, which employs some 1,700 people in security, healthcare, logistics and corpo- rate jobs, is allegedly underpay- ing some of its employees thou- sands of euros a year, as workers who spoke to this newspaper ac- cused the company of refusing to pay for overtime according to the law and grant leave and sick- leave, while paying them less than the minimum wage. The Department of Industrial and Employment Relations (DI- ER) told MaltaToday that the company is undergoing investi- gation over six separate cases of employment law breaches. Asked whether any action was taken following the 2014 report which appeared on MaltaToday, DIER said "as in any other case, investigations were carried out. Claims were settled by the em- ployer without the need to pro- ceed to court and the company rectified its position in accord- ance with the law." However talking to MaltaTo- day, JF Services directors Peter and Matthew Formosa denied these claims and said that "we have a clean slate and there are no pending investigations." Asked whether any of their employees is paid less than the minimum wage, Peter Formosa said "hand on heart, all our work- ers are paid according to the law and nobody is paid less than the minimum wage." However, payslips issued by JF Services Ltd in December and seen by MaltaToday show that workers, some of which work some 80 hours a week, are be- ing paid a basic wage of €4.10 per hour. Their wages are then topped up by weekly allowances but workers alleged that they are not receiving the government bonuses. Last year, the minimum wage stood at €728 per month, or €168 per week which works out at €4.20 per hour. Peter Formosa said if anyone of his employees was paid less than the minimum wage it "must be an error because we would be crazy not to observe the law when DIER monitors our opera- tions." He also alleged that the pay- slips seen by MaltaToday could be manipulated as he went on to accuse foreign workers of tam- pering with payslips. Workers' complaints A number of employees of JF Services Ltd, which has a num- ber of subsidiaries operating in diverse fields, ranging from construction to security, to healthcare and cleaning services, told MaltaToday they are also charged an extra €100 to have their permits renewed – over and above the €280 fee paid to national employment agency JobsPlus. One of the workers, who asked to remain anonymous, said that over a 12-month period he has been underpaid by more than €5,000 as the company also re- fuses to pay for work carried out on Sundays and Public Holidays overtime. For instance, according to the Construction Wages Council Wage Regulation Order, workers in the construction industry who work on Saturdays should be paid 150% of their normal wage rate. Workers engaged on Sun- day should be paid 200% of their normal wage rate. Workers engaged on a holiday should be paid 300% of the nor- mal wage rate (double time/200% in addition to a normal hourly wage). In 2014, MaltaToday reported that one of its subsidiaries was employing foreign workers for a miserly hourly net wage of just over €3.60 and was in breach of employment laws. News JURGEN BALZAN JURGEN BALZAN Call for the Appointment of Auditors to the NDSF e National Development and Social Fund ("NDSF", or "Fund") is a Government Agency established for the purpose of managing and administering seventy per cent of the contributions received from the Individual Investor Programme of the Republic of Malta set up by virtue of the Malta Citizenship Act Cap.188. e founding regulations stipulate that the Agency shall contribute, support, promote and foster projects of national interest particularly in the advancement of education, research, innovation, justice, health, competitiveness, social and gender equality and to undertake initiatives for the benet of future generations. Submissions are invited from authorised audit rms to be considered for nomination to act as the external auditors of the Fund. e appointed audit rm will be required to carry out a statutory audit of the annual nancial statements of the Fund in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). e term of appointment of the Auditors shall be for a period of ve years. All submissions are to include a nancial oer and are to be placed in a sealed envelope and sent to the Chief Executive Ocer, e National Development and Social Fund 46, West Street, Valletta, VLT 1531, Malta by not later than Monday 10th April, 2017. An Appointment Brief can be requested by sending an email to raymond-andrew.ellul@gov.mt (15 days from) 26 March, 2017 for more details. POLICE OFFICERS ARE SPEAKING UP 'Why should someone at MEPA earn the same wages as myself at scale 11, when I work six more hours a week?' says Sgt Neville Mercieca PAGES 12-13 INTERVIEW Rebels Motorcycle Club president Alex Vella launches Facebook campaign and internet fund to continue legal fight for travel visa back to Australia • PAGE 17 REBEL PRESIDENT REVS UP AUSSIE VISA FIGHT 3 year: 3.00% 2 year: 2.85% 1 year: 2.50% FIMBank p.l.c. is a licensed credit institution regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and listed on the Malta Stock Exchange. The Bank is a participant in the Depositor Compensation Scheme in Malta. Terms and conditions apply. 2132 2102 helpdesk@easisave.com www.easisave.com 2132 2102 2132 2102 No Hidden Fees or Bank Charges Easy, Flexible and Secure Visit our website, open your online bank account and start beneting from superior interest rates on your savings and xed term deposit accounts. 3 year: 3.00% 2 year: 2.85% 1 year: 2.50% Euro Fixed Term Deposit Minimum Deposit €1,000 Rates of interest are on a gross per annum basis Euro Savings Account Minimum Deposit €50 1.75 % xxxxx Newspaper post TOP SECURITY FIRM PROBED OVER MISERLY WAGES JURGEN BALZAN FOREIGN workers are being made to work over 62 hours per week for a miserly hourly net wage of just over €3.60, MaltaToday has learned. Documents seen by MaltaToday show the extent of the precarious employment of foreign workers in Malta, with some employees work- ing for over 80 hours per week. Apart from working for longer hours and not being paid overtime according to the law, a number of employees were threatened and warned not to report the matter. A number of foreign workers, es- pecially Eastern Europeans, are be- ing sent to Malta by agencies which strike agreements with Maltese companies, and contracts seen by MaltaToday show how Romanian nationals are lured to Malta by signing a pre-contract in Bucha- rest to work as a security agent / fire warder for 252 hours at €900 a month. Once these workers are f lown over to Malta, they sign a contract with a Maltese company. But Mal- taToday can confirm, after seeking legal advice, that the contracts are in breach of the Private Security Services Wages Council Wage Reg- ulation Order. YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday SUNDAY • 9 NOVEMBER 2014 • ISSUE 783 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY REVEALED • Documents show how foreign EU workers in backbreaking jobs remain unpaid FULL STORY PAGES 8-9 No capping on casinos, says economy minister A policy under the former Nationalist administra- tion to limit the number of casinos on the island to five concessions, has been effectively jettisoned by the Labour government. Economy minister Chris Cardona yesterday told MaltaToday that there was now "no capping" to the number of casinos that can be established, after the ministry issued two concessions to the Eden Leisure Group and Dragonara Gaming Ltd following an ex- pression of interest for a new Malta-based casino. The process has been halted by court order follow- ing a protest filed by Dragonara, which is contesting the Privatisation Unit's decision to rank Eden Lei- sure first in the selection process, and the decision to grant two concessions. "There is no capping to the number of casinos, we want to fully maximise this growing industry," Car- dona told MaltaToday when quizzed about the limit on casinos. Under former finance ministers John Dalli and To- nio Fenech, casino licences were capped at five: the Dragonara Casino, the Casinò di Venezia – whose licence was suspended recently – the Oracle Casino, which was granted a 'split-licence' to shift a portion of its gaming tables to the Casino at Portomaso; as well as a concession for the Kempinski Hotel in Gozo and one at Manoel Island for Midi plc, which were never set up. €1.20 CONTINUES ON PAGE 4 mt survey Peter Formosa, managing director at JF Services, emerged from his offi ce to snap a photo of MaltaToday's photographer while taking photos of the JF offi ce building. He denies claims by foriegn workers that they were paid at rates of just €3.60 an hour. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION Traffic now most pressing concern, surpassing migration TRAFFIC & PARKING MIGRATION COST OF LIVING JOBS 58c COLA 23% 21.2% 12.8% 7.2% 7.2% ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ 7% MARCH 17.3% MARCH 12% MARCH 21% MARCH NEW TV DRAMA • 10-11 WHY WHY MARK DONEO TV DRAMA MARK DONEO MARK DONEO CAN'T STAND TV DRAMA • 10-11 CAN'T STAND CAN'T STAND MALTESE 14-15 JF Services facing new probe over alleged breach of employment laws • Payslips issued by JF Services Ltd in December show workers working 80 hours a week on a basic wage of €4.10 per hour • A number of employees said they are also charged an extra €100 to have their permits renewed – over and above the €280 fee paid to national employment agency JobsPlus • One worker claims he has been underpaid by more than €5,000 over 12 months