National monograph – Malta

Abstract

Mediterranean Sea. It consists of the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, covering a total area of 316 square kilometres. The total population is amounts to approximately 417,432. 2. Malta’s mild weather and Mediterranean landscape make it an attractive destination for tourists. In fact, tourism has become one of its main economic activities. It also has a small but competitive manufacturing sector, operating both in the local and foreign export markets as well as tiny but efficient agricultural and fishing industries. 3. In addition to its strategic location, Malta’s valuable assets include its history and culture. There are visible influences of the various foreign powers who ruled over it throughout the years. These included the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spaniards, the Knights of St John, the French and finally, the British. The end product is a unique blend of cultures. The Maltese national language, for instance, reflects the influence of Arabic, Italian and English. The same applies to the architectural styles which are encountered in buildings throughout Malta. These range from the magnificent Neolithic temples which are spread all over Malta to the Bronze Age archaeological sites, Roman and Arab edifices, the baroque palaces and churches of the Knights and the more recent buildings of the British period. Christianity was introduced to Malta following the shipwreck of St Paul the Apostle in AD 60. It has arguably remained the main religious faith ever since, and particularly since 1090 when the island was taken over by the Normans, following a period of Arab domination which had lasted for almost three centuries previously. 4. Malta gained its independence from Britain in 1964 and adopted a republican constitution in 1974. 5. Maltese legislation is enacted by a Parliament which operates on the Westminster model. There are two major political parties, the Nationalist Party, which was in government between 1987 and 2013 – except for a brief period between 1996 and 1998 – and the Labour Party, currently in government since 2013. Parliament is composed of 65 members who are elected by a system of proportional representation. The party gaining more than 50 per cent of the valid votes cast in a general election is given the mandate to govern for a five-year period. In turn, Parliament elects a President, who has limited executive powers. Executive power resides with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues who are nominated by him from among the elected representatives. 6. Since May 2004, Malta has been a member of the European Union. This act followed a heated local debate between those who saw membership as necessary for Malta’s future economic and political development and those who saw membership as a return to the past colonial status when Malta’s economic and political policies were dictated by and in the interests of the major powers who ruled over it. 7. Malta’s accession to the European Union has provided a catalyst for the reform of its labour laws. Initially the reform process was driven by the need to harmonize Malta’s laws and institutions with the acquis communautaire, particularly in the pre-accession phase. Subsequently, following EU membership, the government has amended many of its old labour laws and continues to legislate in response to the directives issued from time to time by the European Commission. In addition to these, there is new legislation and other legal amendments enacted by Malta’s Parliament in response to changing local political, economic and social circumstances. 8. The present edition of this volume presents Malta’s labour laws and includes the institutional changes and laws which have been enacted during the last ten years. It also includes a discussion of some topics which, for various reasons, did not feature in the earlier volume of this series published in 2006 – thus updating and complementing that publication.