Economy Minister Silvio Schembri has announced that following the news that Microtek Medical Malta Ltd will close, resulting in 96 workers losing their jobs, the government is collaborating with the General Workers’ Union (GWU) to help these workers find new employment.
With Christmas time soon approaching, the Economy Minister declared that the primary objective behind this action is to ensure that all the affected workers find new and good employment in the shortest time possible.
Minister Schembri wrote about this development on his Facebook page on Friday afternoon. He shared that Microtek Medical Malta Ltd is being shut down by its parent group and American giant, Medline. Medline had acquired Ecolab Surgical Solutions, which employs a total of around 3,500 people, including the 96 employees at Microtek Medical Malta Ltd in Malta, last year. Medline’s decision to close operations of the Maltese company came about as it is restructuring the Ecolab Surgical Solutions group. Overall, Medline employs around 43,000 people worldwide.
The Minister for the Economy was promptly informed on this development by Microtek Medical Malta management.
Minister Schembri stated that this decision had nothing to do with the “excellent skills, dedication or quality of operations” of the workers in Malta, but rather, Medline is looking to consolidate production in other larger existing facilities in the global restructuring of its manufacturing network. He affirmed that even Medline acknowledged that “our workers are known for their top-notch skills in medical manufacturing and infection control.”
In wake of this news, the Maltese government and the GWU have launched a joint task force and a helpline for the 96 workers affected.
Through the joint task force, which is already underway, the government and the GWU are in direct discussions with several large companies in Malta, who are looking for workers with the skills of the affected Microtek Medical Malta employees, to try and help them quickly find new similar jobs.
In addition, a helpline is being set up with the workers’ union. The number 25679207 will serve as a direct point of contact between the workers, who may call for individual assistance, and other companies who need to hire.
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri assured that while this is “undoubtedly” bad news, people should not fret as “the job market in Malta today is stronger than ever.” He added that there are many new and existing companies that are growing and opening up that urgently need workers with specialised skills.
The Minister promised the 96 affected workers that they will not be left alone during this difficult time. He said that by insisting on seeing the economy continue to grow, “this means that in difficult situations like these, workers will have less worries, because they know that it will not be long before they find a good job in our country.”
Minister Schembri stated that “for us as a Government, these are not 96 workers out of 43,000, but 96 families whose livelihoods depend on this operation, and therefore we take such news with great sadness and seriousness, especially at a time when we are approaching the Christmas holidays.”