Report on the working of the department of Labour and Emigration covering periods between 1st April 1972 to 31st March, 1973)1.The staff of the Department on 31st March 1973 was as follows: Acting Director | Labour | Emigration | Senior Administrative Officer | 1 | - | Administrative Officer | 2 | 1 | Senior Medical Officer | - | 1 | Higher Executive Officer | 3 | - | Senior Labour Officer | 5 | - | Senior Clerical Officer | 2 | - | Higher Clerical Officer | 4 | 4 | Labour Officer | 27 | - | Clerical Officer | 12 | 6 | Clerk/Clerk Typist | 16 | 3 | Messenger | 1 | 1 | Telephone/Office Attendant | 7 | 4 | Charwoman | 2 | 1 |
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Labour Division
Employment
2.Early during the period under review, steps were taken to introduce a new system of collecting Labour Statistics. Two types of surveys on employment were launched -- "partial monthly" surveys covering manufacturing firms of certain size, banks and hotels and "general" surveys covering the whole economic activities in these Islands. The first "general" survey by direct questionnaires to firms was carried out during November, 1972. The findings of the survey resulted in a working force of 106,642 -- gainfully employed 100,408 and persons unemployed registering for work 6,234 or 5.8% of the Labour force. 3.The number of persons in gainful employment accounted for 94.2% of the working force. This was made up of Agricultuce and Real Estate 1.5%; Transport and Communications 4.2%; Community, Business, Recreation and Personal Services 11.9%; Diplomatic Mission (Maltese nationals) 0.1%; Electricity, Gas and Drydocks 5.8%; Malta Government 19.0%; Military Base Departments and British forces 5.1%; Malta Land Force 0.6% and Emergency Labour Corps 1.4%. 4.Of a total number of 3,001 placed in employment in the private industry, 206 were men, 116 boys, 165 women and 114 girls; Malta Drydocs Corporation provided 2,549 male jobs. 5During the first half of the period under review the number of unemployed persons on the Register decreased and at the end of November 1972 stood at 5,907. However, after November 1972 the number of such persons rose and at the end of March 1973 reached the 8,232 mark or 7.7% of the labour force. 6.Persons seeking enlistment in the Emergency Labour Corps were intervs were enlisted as a result of the first and of the second call respectively. 7.The training of learners and apprentices in private establishments was supervised by officials of the Youth Employment Section. 168 learner's permit were issued and 10 agreements of apprenticeship signed. The total number of apprentices entered on the Register of Apprentices as on 31st March 1973 was 404 and the total number of learners 574. 8.109 applications were received from persons who wished to have their names entered on the Register of Disabled Persons in terms of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1969, 66 new applications were approved whilst 27 persons had their names removed from the register. The total number of disabled persons on the said Register on 31st March 1973 was 702. The number of dis-abled persons placed in empl
Legislation
9.The following legislation affecting the work of the Enforcement Section was enacted: - Hire (Cars or Private Buses) Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 88 of 1971)
- Public Transport Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 17 of 1972)
- Private Schools Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 18 of 1972)
- Professional Offices Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 53 of 1972)
- Canning Industry Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 54 of 1972)
- Hire (Cars or Private Buses) Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 71 of 1972)
- Textile and Allied Industries Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 72 of 1972
- Tobacco Manufacture Industry Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 73 of 1972)
- Cargo Clearance and Forwarding Agents' Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 74 of 1972)
- Cinemas and Theatres Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 75 of 1972)
- Seamen Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 77 of 1972)
- Woodwork Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 84 of 1972)
- Domestic Service Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 85 of 1972)
- Beverage Industries Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 87 of 1972)
- Leather Goods and Shoes Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 88 of 1972)
- Wholesale and Retail Trades Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 90 of 1972)
- Construction Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 101 of 1972)
- Leather Goods and Shoes Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 102 of 1972)
- Jewellery and Watches Wage Regulation (Amendment) Order (L.N. 106 of 1972)
- Agriculture and Allied Industries Wage Regulation Order (L.N. 109 of 1972)
- Laundries Wage Reg (L.N. 5 of 1973)
Enforcement
10.The Labour Inspectorate of the Division carried out inspections in establishments where work was being carried out to ensure that the various provisions of labour legislation were being observed; these visits affected a total of 44,209 employees, of whom 13,752 were interviewed by the inspecting Labour Officers. Other details regarding these visits are given in the subjoined table: Legislation
| National Insurance Act 1956 | Employment of Children (Regulation) Ord. 1944 | Industrial training Act 1952 | Conditions of Employment (Regulation) Act 1952 | Factories Ordinance (Cap 168) | Purpose of visit | 5879 | 38 | 8 | 4744 | 2104 | Reported non-compliance cases | 141 | 31 | 8 | 513 | 61 |
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Tables showing the places of work inspected and prosecutions under the various labour laws are not Appendices I and II to this report. 11.The Labour Board, appointed in terms of Section 3 of Act XI of 1952 was reconstituted and started functioning after many years of inactivity, and is considering a proposal for the fixing of a national minimum wage. 12.The Public Transport Labour Control section intensified its efforts against the practice of effecting illegal deductions by way of fines from the wages of employees in the erned of the amount so deducted. The Public Transport Labour Board held 43 sittings and dealt with 27 cases, out of which 15 were decided, nine cases were withdrawn and the other three cases were put off "sine die".
Industrial Relations
13.Forty four trade disputes were dealt with. Nineteen of these were brought to a successful conclusion. In nine cases, the sides were brought closer and as nothing to the contrary was heard further from them it is assumed that agreement was reached. In six-teen cases disagreement was registered at the conciliation meeting. Industrial action produced fifty cases of stoppages from work and these involved 15,473 workers causing the loss of 27,426 man-days. The Malta Arbitration Tribunal heard eleven cases referred to it and delivered eighteen Awards and one interpretation of an Award. 14.The last report of the Registrar of Trade Unions showed that as at June 1972 there were sixty unions on new trade union with a membership of 38 has been registered since then.
Emigration Division
15.The number of emigrants reached a total of 3,585, an increase of 1,117 or more than 45% over the 2,468 who emigrated during the previous financial year. As in previous years, with 1,674 against 1,173 the number of males exceeded that of females. 2148 or about 60% went to Australia, 651 to the United Kingdom, 553 to Canada and 201 to the United States of America. 32 persons emig-rated to other countries. Another 105 persons proceeded to the United Kingdom for seasonal employment. The figures for the previous financial year were: Australia 1,492, United Kingdom 427, Canada 326, United States of America 198, other countries 25. The total number of persons who have emigrated since January 1946 has now risen to 131,130. 16.Transportation of Maltese migrants to Australia was carried out by ten group departures, six by charter planes and four by ship, all arranged by the Department through the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, Geneva, of which Malta is a member. Migrants to Canada and to the United States of America travelled together on six charter flights arranged by the Department. Migrants bound for the United Kingdom travelled on normal scheduled flights at a specially reduced migrant fare, 75% of which is contributed by Government. 17.The emigration of Maltese citizens into the United Kingdom continued to be governed by the U.K. Immigration Act of 1971. In May 1972 our annual quota of 600 employment vouchers was reduced to 500. As from the 1st January 1973 work permits replaced the employ-ment vouchers previously issued to Commonwealth citizens proceed-ing to the United Kingdom for employment. The conditions for the issue of work permits are less favourable to workers than those for the issue of employment vouchers. Hold 22nd May, 1973. Sgd. A. FARRUGIA
A/Director of Labour and Emigration
  
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