Maltese Fleet Owners Warn Part-Time Bolt Food Couriers Also Getting Rejected
A new government policy banning work permits for third-country national food couriers and cab drivers has cast an extremely wide net, to the point where even part-timers are reportedly getting rejected on the grounds that there isn’t a labour market shortage.
Lovin Malta spoke to the owners of a Maltese fleet that employs around 130 food couriers who deliver food to the public through the Bolt Food platform.
“We are completely in favour of the Prime Minister’s decision to stop new third-country nationals from entering Malta because there area already enough here for us to work with,” the owners told Lovin Malta.
“However, they are also refusing secondary employment licenses (part-timers) applications for people who are already working in Malta. We are disappointed that the good is suffering along with the wrong (mal-ħażin jeħel it-tajjeb).”
Whereas some fleet owners employ drivers on a full-time basis, this particular company utilises a different model, with some 85% of its staff being part-timers.
Prime Minister Robert Abela
“Our workers have a good salary and a commission on top of that, and they only work when demand is high. We found a formula that works,” they said.
Most of the part-time couriers are third-country nationals, with the owner bluntly admitting that Maltese people have no appetite at all to work as food delivery couriers.
“Not a single Maltese person has ever applied for a vacancy. When they express some interest and we tell them that they’ll be working on Bolt Food, they immediately decline. The Maltese simply don’t want to do this job.”
The TCNs who work with this fleet already have a full-time job but operate on Bolt Food during peak hours (evenings and weekends) when demand is highest.
“These people have a full-time job, for example some work as electricians, but they don’t have families and friends in Malta and would rather earn something extra when they’re off rather than doing nothing at home,” the owners said.
“If the government doesn’t want to import more third-country nationals, I agree with them, but I haven’t imported a single person over the past year. These people are already here and working legally, so why can’t they have a part-time job? We’re making an efficient use of resources and hitting two birds with one stone without increasing the population.”
They also questioned why the government has chosen to target the food delivery sector.
“If these same workers apply for a part-time job as a waiter, they will be given a Secondary Employment Licence, so why can’t they also choose to work as food couriers?”
The owners said they tried reaching out to the Prime Minister and several ministries to express their concerns but have hit a brick wall.
“We’re Maltese citizens, they should at least listen to us…”
Lovin Malta has reached out to Home Affairs and Employment Minister Byron Camilleri to ask why part-time applications are also getting rejected.
Have you been impacted by this new government policy? Feel free to reach out at [email protected]
READ NEXT: Joseph Muscat Warns Cabinet Removal Of Edward Scicluna Would Probably Be Illegal
