The PN on Saturday said that Film Commissioner Johann Grech has not yet provided an explanation as to the reason why Maltese producers and workers in the film industry were not consulted before regulations were imposed on them by the same Commissioner, and that the industry needs a ‘Work Regulation Order’ for the interests of those concerned.
The PN said that Grech “believes he is the Minister and the absolute authority in the sector,” and has not provided any explanation for the regulations imposed. Last week, Grech sent an email to film crew members listed in Malta’s Film Directory with a set of crew guidelines, deemed the ’10 key pledges.’
PN MPs Julie Zahra and Ivan Castillo said that the film sector is not a ‘one size fits all’ and, therefore, there is a need for a ‘work regulation order’ that addresses the necessary flexibility to protect both working conditions and the various employment standards of the sector.
“However, despite this, Johann Grech continues to impose new regulations for the sector on film producers via email and without any consultation, showing a lack of respect towards these producers and the unions representing them,” the PN said.
It said that this further confirms that “Grech knows nothing about this important industry and is more concerned with showing his face in an interview or posing with some dinosaur.” The PN said that all of this is being done using public funds.
The Nationalist Party questioned whether the Film Commission consulted with the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (DIER) regarding the matter, before issuing the regulations.
It also questioned how the harmonization of conditions between local and foreign crews with different contracts outside the country will be achieved, and whether “there is any sense in all these ‘pledges.'”
The PN also questioned whether action will be taken by the Director of Employment and Industrial Relations with respect to this.
“The Nationalist Party has insisted that individuals working in our film industry, precisely because their work requires specific needs and is not a job that follows standard rules like many other jobs, needs a ‘Work Regulation Order’ that safeguards and enhances the health and safety of workers in creative businesses while ensuring that their rights are protected and any existing lacune are avoided,” it said.
“Is this the best the Government can do with all the resources it has, to ensure the well-being of those whose livelihoods depend on this industry?” the PN questioned.
The Nationalist Party said that to truly have a just Malta, even in the film industry, there must be serious consultation, transparency, inclusion, guaranteed employment for workers, incentives for those who deserve them, and support for all workers in the sector, while ensuring that the sector grows and remains attractive to serious investors.
The PN proposed that the “pledges” are scrapped, and that the Commissioner does what he should have done from the start: open consultation with stakeholders and implement a Work Regulation Order for the industry in the best interests of everyone.