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Description
This project aimed at strengthening the social dialogue by learning from the Norwegian experience with tripartite dialogue, although the Maltese system differs significantly from the Norwegian model. Despite structures being in place in Malta and trade unions and employers’ associations being involved in consultation meetings with the Government, social partners are not always actively engaged in the policy formulation process and the consultative processes have been declining in recent years.
Due to the Covid situation, the project went through significant changes, and the planned visit to Norway and final seminar had to be changed. The project had no formal Norwegian partner, but an online meeting was organised with three social partners in Norway to gain practical knowledge on the Norwegian model of tripartite dialogue. An external consultant was engaged to prepare a comparative report on the social dialogue model in Norway and Malta, including recommentations for changes. An event was organised to bring together social partners and stakeholder s in Malta to present the conclusions and recommonations of the report to the Minister within the Offce of the Prime Minister, responsible for social dialogue.
The project promoter MEUSAC, that has changed their name to Servizzi Ewropej f''Malta, is one of the consultative fora in Malta through which Government consults with social partners and civil society on a variety of matters such as economic outlook and environmental policies.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address the declining engagement of social partners in the policy formulation process in Malta. Despite existing structures and the involvement of trade unions and employers'' associations in consultation meetings with the government, social partners were not always actively engaged. The project sought to strengthen social dialogue by learning from the Norwegian model of tripartite dialogue, which is known for its effectiveness. The challenge was to adapt and apply the best practices from the Norwegian model to the Maltese context, where the system differs significantly.
Initially, a study visit to Norway was planned, but due to the Covid-19 situation, this was changed to an online meeting. MEUSAC representatives engaged with three Norwegian social partners to gain practical knowledge of the Norwegian model of tripartite dialogue. An external consultant was hired to prepare a comparative report on the social dialogue models in Norway and Malta, which included recommendations for changes to improve the Maltese model. An event was organized to bring together social partners and stakeholders in Malta, where the conclusions and recommendations of the comparative report were presented to the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, responsible for social dialogue. The outcomes of the study visit and the consultant''s report were used to draft a policy paper outlining recommendations for improving the Maltese model of tripartite dialogue. A final seminar was held to present the policy paper and discuss potential improvements with representatives from the government, social partners, and civil society organizations.
Twelve SEM staff members and seven external participants became more informed about the Norwegian model of tripartite dialogue. A comprehensive report was produced, detailing the Maltese and Norwegian models of social dialogue, a comparative analysis, findings from interviews with Maltese social partners, and recommendations for improved social dialogue in Malta.
Thirty-six individuals attended the final seminar, enhancing collaboration between social partners. The recommendations from the study were directly presented to the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, responsible for social dialogue. These recommendations are expected to inform future initiatives and reforms in favor of social dialogue in Malta. SEM gained a wider knowledge of the Norwegian model, enabling it to adopt good practices and apply them to the Maltese context. This will contribute to the continuous improvement of social dialogue in Malta by creating more opportunities for social partners and civil society representatives to collaborate on common aims and issues. The primary beneficiaries of the project were the SEM staff, Maltese social partners, and the broader Maltese society, which stands to benefit from improved social dialogue and more inclusive policy-making processes.