HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ġ S.L.452.66 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.66
HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE 
REGULATION ORDER
1st April, 1990
LEGAL NOTICE 43 of 1990.
Title.
Wage Regulation Order.
Field of operation 
of Wages Council.
2. The provisions set out in the Schedule hereto shall apply to
all employees in respect of whom the Hotels and Clubs Wages
Council operates.
Limitation of 
application of 
Scheme No.8.
S.L. 343.06.
3. The words "The hours of work of apprentices and learners
employed under this scheme, shall not exceed ten hours in any one
day nor their period of employment twelve hours in any one day"
contained in paragraph 7, and paragraphs 8, 9 and 10 of Scheme
No. 8 concerning the calling of cook in hotels, clubs, restaurants
and hospitals published by Government Notice No. 479 of 1953
shall not apply to learners who are employees in relation to whom
this Wage Regulation Order applies.
SCHEDULE 
PART 1
Application of
Part I.
1. This Part of the Schedule applies to employees in hotels
guest houses, holiday complexes, tourist villages and licensed
holiday flats.
Hours of work.
Schedule, the minimum weekly remuneration for all employees to
whom this Part applies shall he related to a week of not more than:
( a ) forty-three hours of work spread over six days for a
maximum of thirteen weeks to be availed of between
the last week in June and first week in October and
thirty-nine hours of work spread over five days for the
rest of the year in the case of all employees other than
watchmen and musicians;
( b ) sixty hours of work in the case of watchmen; and
( c ) thirty hours of work in the case of musicians.
Minimum 
remuneration.
3. (1) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 2, 5, 6 and 7 of
this Schedule, the minimum weekly remuneration payable to
whole-time employees (other than watchmen and musicians), of the
age specified in Column 1 of the Table hereunder, shall be the
appropriate rate set out in respect thereto in Columns 2, 3 or 4
thereof:
2 ġ S.L.452.66 HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
Provided that column 2 or 3 is only applicable where the
meal or meals are supplied by the employer in agreement with the
employee.
(2) The minimum weekly remuneration payable to watchmen
shall be as follows:
( a ) watchmen whose duties are mainly performed indoors
.................................................................... Lm33.38;
( b ) watchmen whose duties are mainly performed out of
doors ........................................................... Lm34.38.
(3) The minimum weekly remuneration payable to musicians
shall be Lm40.65.
Minimum daily 
rest.
4. (i) All whole-time employees, other than musicians, shall
be allowed intervals of not less, in the aggregate, than one hour for
meals and rest in any day on which the hours of work exceed five
and a half hours.
(ii) Whole-time musicians shall be allowed intervals of not
less in the aggregate of half an hour for rest in any day.
Minimum overtime 
rates for 
maintenance 
workers.
5.   Whole-time employees employed on maintenance work
shall be entitled to overtime remuneration as follows:
( a ) for all time worked on Sundays and customary
holidays ................................................. double-time;
( b ) for all time worked in any week in excess of the hours
as shown in paragraph 2( a ), exclusive of any time paid
for at overtime rates ...........................time-and-a-half:
Provided that in any week which includes a customary
holiday, overtime shall be payable for work in excess of thirty-six
hours for a maximum of thirteen weeks between the last week in
June and first week in October in the case of employees
conditioned to a six day week and thirty-one and one quarter hours
during the rest of the year in the case of employees conditioned to a
five day week, exclusive of any time paid for at overtime rates.
RATE PER WEEK
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4
Age Where the 
employer 
supplies one 
main meal per 
day.
Where the 
employer 
supplies two 
main meals 
per day.
Where neither 
column 2 nor 
column 3 is 
applicable.
Under 17 years
17 years of age
18 years of age
or over 
Lm28.60
Lm29.70
Lm32.85
Lm28.00
Lm29. 10
Lm32.25
Lm29.13
Lm30.23
Lm33.38:
HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ġ S.L.452.66 3
Minimum overtime 
rates for whole-
time employees 
other than 
musicians and 
those employed on 
maintenance work.
6.  Whole-time employees, other than those employed on
maintenance work, shall be entitled to the following overtime
remuneration:
( a )  for all time worked in excess of seven and one quarter
hours daily for a maximum of thirteen weeks between
the last week in June and first week in October or
seven and three quarters hours daily during the rest of
the year .................................................. time-and-a-
half;
( b ) for all time worked in excess of the weekly hours of
work as shown in paragraph 2( a ), exclusive of any
time paid for under sub-paragraph ( a ) of this
paragraph .......................................... time-and-a-half:
Provided that employees shall be entitled to overtime
payment for hours worked in excess of thirty-nine hours per week
only if the average hours of work in a whole calendar year exceeds
an average of forty hours per week; 
( c ) for all time worked on each day of rest ... double-time;
( d ) in the case of watchmen - 
(i) for all time worked in excess of ten hours on any
day........................................... time-and-a-half;
(ii) for all time worked on each day of rest and
customary holidays ....................... double-time:
Provided that -
(i) the Director may authorise an employer, in
writing, to pay overtime to specified employees,
or groups of employees, in respect only of the
hours of work in excess of the weekly average of
forty-three hours or thirty-nine hours, as the
case may be, calculated over a period including
such a number of consecutive weeks as the
Director may deem reasonable, and in such case
the provisions of sub-paragraph ( a ) of this
paragraph shall not apply;
(ii) the hours of work in relation to any one
employee acting as night porter on any day in
any one establishment shall include only half the
time included in a sleeping period.
Minimum overtime 
rates for musicians.
7. Whole-time musicians shall he entitled to overtime
remuneration as follows -
( a ) for all time worked in excess of five hours daily
.......................................................... time-and-a-half; 
( b ) for all time worked in excess of thirty hours in any one
week ................................................. time-and-a-half;
( c ) for all time worked on the weekly day of rest
............................................................... double-time.
4 ġ S.L.452.66 HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
Minimum 
remuneration for 
part-time 
employees.
8. (1) The minimum remuneration payable to part-time
employees of the categories specified in paragraph 3 hereof shall be
pro rata  at an hourly rate arrived at by dividing the amount
appearing for each category, by the number of hours of work per
week for the relative category.
(2) For the purposes of this Part, part-time employees are those
employees, other than part-time musicians, who are employed for
less than twenty-six hours in any one week; and
( a ) "part-time musician" means an employee who is not a
whole-time musician; and
( b ) "whole-time musician" means an employee who works
as a musician in a hotel for twenty-four hours or more,
spread over a period of not less than four days in any
week, with the same employer.
PART II
Application of
Part II.
9.  This Part of the Schedule applies to employees in clubs.
Hours of work. 10. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 11 and 12 of this
Schedule, the minimum weekly remuneration for all whole-time
employees shall be related to a week of not more than:
( a ) forty hours in the case of all whole-time employees
except watchmen; 
( b ) sixty hours in the case of watchmen.
Minimum 
remuneration.
11. (1) The minimum weekly remuneration payable to whole-
time employees (other than watchmen) in clubs, of the age
specified in Column 1 of the Table hereunder, shall be the
appropriate rate set out in respect thereto in Column 2 thereof:
(2) The minimum weekly remuneration payable to watchmen
in clubs shall be as follows:
( a ) those whose duties are mainly performed indoors
..................................................................... Lm32.88
( b ) those whose duties are mainly performed out of doors
..................................................................... Lm33.88
Minimum overtime 
rates.
12. All whole-time employees shall he entitled to overtime
remuneration as follows -
( a ) for all time worked in excess of six and three quarter
hours ................................................ time-and-a-half;
( b ) for all time worked in excess of forty hours in any
week, exclusive of any time paid for at overtime rates
.......................................................... time-and-a-half;
Column 1
Age
Column 2
Rate per week
Under 17 years
17 years of age
18 years of age or over 
Lm29.13
Lm30.24
Lm32.88
HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ġ S.L.452.66 5
( c ) for all time worked on the weekly day of rest
.............................................................. double- time;
( d ) in the case of watchmen:
(i) or all time worked in excess of ten hours on each
one day ................................... time-and-a-half;
(ii) for all time worked on each day of rest and
customary holiday ......................... double-time: 
Provided that -
(i) the Director may authorise an employer in
writing to pay overtime to a specified employee
or group of employees in respect only of the
hours of work in excess of a weekly average of
forty hours calculated over such a number of
consecutive weeks as the Director may deem
reasonable, and in that case the provisions of
sub-paragraph ( a ) of this paragraph shall not
apply;
(ii) the hours of work in relation to one employee
acting as night porter on any day in any one
establishment shall include only half the time
included in a sleeping period.
Part-time 
employees.
13. For the purpose of this Part "part-time employee" means an
employee -
( a ) whose period of employment between Monday and
Friday in any one week falls completely within the
period from 5.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m., whether that
person works on Saturday and Sunday as well or not
and works for less than thirty hours in any one week;
or
( b ) whose period of employment between Monday and
Friday in any week does not fall completely within the
period from 5.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. and works for less
than thirty hours in any one week; or
( c ) who is employed in a club where lodgings are
provided to persons other than employees, and who
works for less than thirty hours in any one week.
Minimum 
remuneration to 
part-time 
employees.
14. The minimum remuneration payable to part-time
employees of the categories specified in paragraph 11 hereof shall
be  pro rata  at an hourly rate arrived at by dividing the amount
appearing for each category, by the number of hours of work per
week for the relative category.
Split shifts.
entitled to an additional payment of 50c per day worked on such
system.
PART III
Application of 
Part III.
16. This Part of the Schedule applies to all employees in coffee
shops, bars and restaurants.
6 ġ S.L.452.66 HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
Definitions. 17. In this Part of the Schedule unless the context otherwise
requires - 
"half day" means a period of twelve consecutive hours ending at
1.00 p.m. or 1.00 a.m., except in the case of bars and restaurants
where it ends at 2.00 p.m. or 2.00 a.m. respectively;
"restaurant" means an establishment where meals are prepared
for consumption by customers on the premises;
"part-time employee" means an employee who is not a whole-
time employee;
"whole-time employee" means an employee who works for more
than twenty hours in any one week.
Hours of work. 18. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 22 of this Schedule,
the minimum weekly remuneration payable to whole-time
employees, other than watchmen, shall be related to a week of not
more than forty hours of work, and, in the case of watchmen, to a
week of not more than sixty hours of work.
Minimum 
remuneration 
payable to whole-
time employees.
19. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 18 of this Schedule
the minimum weekly remuneration payable to whole-time
employees shall be as follows -
( a ) whole-time employees in restaurants, other than
watchmen, of the age specified in Column 1 of the
Table hereunder shall be entitled to the appropriate
rate of remuneration set out in Column 2 thereof:
Minimum Remuneration
Whole-time employees in restaurants -
Column 1  Column 2
At age 16 years Lm29.13
At age 17 years Lm30.24
At age 18 years or over Lm33.38:
Provided that the employer shall have the right to deduct
from the rate shown in Column 2 above 10c for every day that he,
in agreement with the employee, provides one main meal to the
employee;
( b ) whole-time employees, other than watchmen, or
employees in restaurants, to whom this Schedule
applies, of the age specified in Column 1 of the Table
hereunder, shall be entitled to the appropriate rate of
remuneration set out in Column 2 thereof.
Minimum Remuneration
Whole-time employees (other than watchmen) in establishments
other than restaurants -
Column 1  Column 2
At age 16 years Lm29.13
At age 17 years Lm30.24
At age 18 years or over Lm33.38.
HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ġ S.L.452.66 7
( c ) Watchmen shall be paid as follows:
(i)  those whose duties are mainly performed
indoors .............................................. Lm33.38;
(ii) those whose duties are mainly performed
outdoors ............................................ Lm34.38.
Minimum daily 
rest.
20.   All whole-time employees shall be allowed intervals of not
less, in the aggregate, than one hour for meals and rest every day.
Minimum weekly 
rest.
21.   All whole-time employees shall be allowed one whole day
off in every period of seven consecutive days:
Provided that this paragraph shall not apply in respect of
any week in which an employee is employed on a Sunday or
customary holiday and is paid at double-time in accordance with
the provisions of paragraph 22 of this Schedule.
Minimum overtime 
rates.
22. Whole-time employees shall be entitled to overtime
remuneration as follows:
( a ) for all hours of work in excess of eight hours on any
day from Monday to Saturday ........... time-and-a-half;
( b ) for all hours of work on Sundays and customary
holidays ................................................ double-time;
( c ) for all hours of work in any calendar week in excess of
the number of working hours, being not more than
forty stipulated in the contract of service excluding
from such number -
(i) all time paid for under the foregoing provisions
of this paragraph, and
(ii) the number of hours during which an employee
is on holiday, sick leave or is absent from work
without remuneration subject to a maximum of
seven hours in respect of any whole day
............................................... time-and-a-half:
Provided that the Director of Labour may authorize an
employer in writing to pay overtime to specified employees or
groups of employees in respect only of hours of work in excess of a
weekly average of the number of working hours being not more
than forty, stipulated in the contract of service, calculated over
such a number of consecutive weeks as the Director may deem
reasonable; and in that case the provisions of item ( a ) of this
paragraph shall not apply;
( d ) (i) for all hours of work by watchmen in excess of
ten hours daily or in excess of sixty hours in a
period of six consecutive days...time-and-a-half;
(ii) for all hours of work by watchmen on the
seventh day (day of rest) ............... double-time.
Sick leave.
Cap. 318.
23. After completing the first six months of employment,
whole-time employees shall be entitled to fifteen days sick leave on
full pay less any sickness benefit to which they may be entitled
under the Social Security Act, and to further thirty-six days on half
pay in every calendar year:
8 ġ S.L.452.66 HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
Provided that a medical certificate certifying incapacity for
work covering the period of absence is produced to the employer.
Minimum 
remuneration 
payable to part-
time employees.
24. (1) The minimum remuneration payable to part-time
employees shall be as follows:
Monday to Saturday ...................................... Lm1.31,8 per hour
Sundays and customary holidays ................... Lm2.06, per hour.
(2) When the Government grants to all its whole-time
employees a general increase in wages and such increase is
declared by the Minister responsible for labour by notice in the
Gazette to be of general application to all whole-time employees,
the above rates shall be proportionately increased by dividing the
weekly rate applicable to whole-time employees of the same
category by sixty in the case of watchmen and forty in the case of
other employees.
(3) For the purpose of this paragraph "part-time employee"
means an employee:
( a )  who is not employed for more than twenty hours in
any week;
( b ) whose hours of work, in any day, are contained in not
more than four consecutive hours in a period of not
more than half a day; and 
( c ) who is employed at fixed hours.
PART IV
Application of 
Part IV.
25. This Part of the Schedule applies to all employees in
hotels, clubs, guest houses, holiday complexes, tourist villages and
licensed holiday flats.
Interpretation. 26. In this Part of the Schedule unless the context otherwise
requires - 
"maintenance work" means such work, connected with the
maintenance and functioning of a hotel as is normally done by
fitters, plumbers, carpenters, painters, plasterers, electricians, and
handymen, and includes any work done in a power house or boiler
room;
"period of employment" means the time in any day during which
employees are at the disposal of the employer but inclusive of
intervals allowed for meals and rest;
"sleeping period" means a period not exceeding six consecutive
hours fixed by the employer, during which a whole-time employee
acting as night porter is provided with adequate sleeping
accommodation, is allowed to sleep, but is also required to render
occasional service;
"whole-time employee" means an employee who in terms of the
provisions of this Schedule is not a part-time employee.
Minimum weekly 
rest.
27. All whole-time employees shall be allowed one whole day
off in each week as the weekly day of rest.
HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ġ S.L.452.66 9
Sick leave.
Cap. 318.
28. (1) Whole-time employees shall be entitled to eighteen
days sick leave on full pay in every calendar year less any sickness
benefit to which they may be entitled under the Social Security Act:
Provided that a medical certificate certifying incapacity for
work covering the period of absence is produced to the employer.
(2) Whole-time employees employed for less than one year
shall be entitled to paid sick leave in proportion to the number of
months in employment.
Working time.
minimum remuneration applicable to him for all time during which
he is present on the premises of his employer or in any other place
in connection with his employment unless he is present thereon in
any of the following circumstances:
( a )  without the employer’s consent expressed or implied;
( b ) for some purpose unconnected with his work and other
than that of waiting for work to be given to him to
perform;
( c ) by reason only of the fact that he is resident thereon;
( d ) during recognised breaks for meals and rest, and he is
not waiting for work to be given to him to perform.
PART V
Application of 
Part V.
30.  This Part of the Schedule applies to all employees in
hotels, clubs, guest houses, holiday complexes, tourist villages,
licensed holiday flats, coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
Interpretation.
requires -
Cap. 252.
"customary holidays" means the days (other than Sundays)
declared for the time being to be public holiday by or under the
National Holidays and other Public Holidays Act;
"hours of work" means the time on any day during which
employees are at the disposal of the employer, exclusive of
intervals allowed for meals and rest;
"main meal" means lunch or dinner and breakfast or tea;
"time-and-a-half ' and "double-time" mean respectively one and
a half times and twice the actual time rate applicable to the
employee as if no meals, if any, were provided;
"wages" means remuneration or earnings, payable in money by
an employer to an employee;
"week" means a calendar week;
"weekly day of rest" means a period of twenty-four consecutive
hours commencing at the time at which the employee would
normally commence his turn of duty.
Vacation leave.
whole-time employees may be entitled, whole-time employees
shall be entitled to the national holidays and to all public holidays
with full pay, and to the following vacation leave not being less
10 ġ S.L.452.66 HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
than -
( a ) four working weeks and one working day during the
calendar years 1988 and 1989;
( b ) four working weeks and two working days during the
calendar year 1990;
( c ) four working weeks and three working days during the
calendar year 1991;
( d ) four working weeks and four working days during the
calendar year 1992 and during any calendar year
thereafter:
Provided that when a whole-time employee is in
employment for less than twelve months during any calendar year,
he shall be entitled to such part of the said vacation leave as is in
proportion to the number of months in employment.
(2)  For the purpose of this paragraph ''vacation leave'' means
leave with pay which may be availed of on days agreed upon
between the employer and the employee, provided that one day
vacation leave during each of the calendar years 1988 and 1989,
two days vacation leave during 1990, three days vacation leave
during 1991, and four days vacation leave during 1992 and during
any calendar year thereafter shall not form part of any shutdown
and shall be granted by the employer as optional leave in addition
to any optional leave the employee may have been entitled to on the
9th November, 1988.
Bereavement 
leave.
33. Whole-time employees shall be allowed two days paid
leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following relations:
wife, husband, mother, father, (or the person who at the time was in
fact acting as the mother or the father of the employee), son,
daughter, brother, or sister.
Special leave. 34.   A whole-time employee shall be allowed three days leave
with pay on the occasion of his marriage and one day leave on the
occasion of the birth of a child to the wife of the employee.
Injury leave.
Cap. 318.
35.  A whole-time employee shall be entitled to one year injury
leave on full pay less the full amount of any injury benefit to which
such employee may be entitled under the Social Security Act, if he
is injured during the actual discharge of his duty and not due to any
contributory negligence on his part or to any contravention of
safety rules laid down by the management.
Jury leave. 36. Whole-time employees called for jury service shall be
allowed all the necessary time off on full pay to attend such service
at the Court.
Tips. 37. The minimum rates prescribed by this Order shall in no
case include any tips which are earned by the employees in the
course of their duties. 
Retiring age. 38. In cases where the retiring age of a male employee is
expected at the age of sixty years, such employee shall be given the
opportunity by his employer to retain his employment beyond this
age at least until the age of sixty-one years, provided that the
employee in question shall still be allowed, if he so wishes, to retire
HOTELS AND CLUBS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ġ S.L.452.66 11
at the age of sixty years.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order but is intended to indicate its
applicability).
The provisions in the above Schedule will apply to all persons
employed in hotels, guest houses, holiday complexes or tourist
villages, licensed holiday flats, clubs, coffee shops, bars and
restaurants.
Hotels include any bar, restaurant or shop run directly by the
management of a hotel as part of that hotel.
Clubs include any bar, restaurant or shop either run directly by
the management of a club, or given out under contract, for the
purpose of increasing the amenities of the club.
The term ''guest houses'', ''holiday complexes or tourist villages'',
and ''licensed holiday flats'' have the same meaning as is assigned
to them by the Malta Travel and Tourism Services Act.
