The barriers perceived by migrant workers in occupational health and safety in Malta

Abstract

Historically, multitudinous people chose to migrate searching better quality of life, in which work is essential to achieve their objective. Regardless of the destination is chosen, academic literature reveals that migrant workers are confronted with common barriers in occupational health and safety, severity fluctuates not solely at the place of work, but also on external factors, such as political and social climates within hosting countries. The choice of this study was further encouraged following the realization that there was no evidence in the literature on the selected title of this work with specific regard to the island of Malta. The extent of potential barriers was targeted at the hospitality and catering industry which is one of the local leading and thriving sectors on the island and its dependencies. In addition to these measurements, it was considered of value to gauge the workers’ perception vis-à-vis the social, political, and occupational climate, as well as to see if there any possible association between the barrier’s frequency and the workers’ gender, or work experience. Responses confirmed that migrant workers in Malta are burdened with some but not all of the barriers while showing different levels amongst them. Different levels of barriers’ grades were discovered, data analysis producing a variation of results. There was minimal association between the identified barriers and gender and the length of work experience. Similar outcomes were also discovered regarding the political, social, and occupational climate. Academic literature reveals that migrants’ perception vis-à-vis the barriers are generally curtailed. Substandard living and working conditions in their native country, and a conjoint of better conditions and spurious integration policies and climate, deceive migrants’ perceptions. Barriers themselves, do not only hinder the well-being and safety of migrant workers, but frequently breach legislations, besides possibly impeding workers’ fundamental human rights. Thus, the importance that all stakeholders, both occupationally and externally, holistically counteract to eradicate all barriers, pursuing total integration.