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Factsheet for measure MT-2020-16/1439 – measures in Malta
Country | Malta , applies nationwide |
Time period | Open ended, started on 15 April 2020 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Company practices |
Category |
Reorientation of business activities
– Change of production/innovation |
Author | Luke Anthony Fiorini (University of Malta) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 16 November 2020 (updated 27 January 2021) |
Bortex Fine Tailoring is a well known producer and retailer of clothing in Malta. The company owns a factory in Malta as well as a factory in Tunisia. It also owns retail outlets in Malta and overseas. Its products are sold in several countries, often under the Gagliardi brand. Its factory in Tunisia as well as its outlets in Malta and abroad were closed initially in April 2020 in response to COVID-19. In April, the company shifted its production in its Malta factory to producing surgical face masks and medical scrubs. Its stores re-opened the following month and benefitted from Government vouchers distributed to the general public for use within retail stores.
In April 2020, Bortex produced 6000 face masks and fulfilled an order for 10,000 medical scrubs for Mater Dei Hospital - Malta's primary acute hospital.
From May 2020 onwards, Bortex had the capacity to make up to 30,000 items, including medical scrubs and facemasks, a month. A 3-ply reusable cloth face mask for use by the general public was approved to prevent intercommunity spreading of COVID-19 by the Medicines Authority and by the Health Department.
Bortex also announced that their production lines were sanitised and both the masks and the medical scrubs were being produced by a team in the production facility as well as remote sewing operators working from their homes. All fabrics and materials were sourced locally, thus supporting local businesses.
Sales are unknown but it has been reported that Bortex has the capacity to produce up to 30,000 items a month.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Particular professions
|
Sector specific set of companies
|
Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
Company / Companies
|
Companies
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement | No involvement |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
No known social partner involvement.
No reported reactions.
This case is sector-specific (only private sector)
Economic area | Sector (NACE level 2) |
---|---|
C - Manufacturing | C14 Manufacture of wearing apparel |
This case is occupation-specific
Occupation (ISCO level 2) |
---|
Food processing, wood working, garment and other craft and related trades workers |
Production and specialised services managers |
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Bortex Tailoring shift production to make facemasks and scrubs, measure MT-2020-16/1439 (measures in Malta), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/MT-2020-16_1439.html
19 May 2022
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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.