The minimum wage as calculated in Malta is not adequate for those who depend on it for their livelihood. Workers and families depending on it simply cannot live a decent and dignified life. It is imperative that our country looks out for all its citizens and residents – all contributing to the economy – by ensuring that they have a minimum income that ensures a dignified, decent living. ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo, emphasised this message during a press conference held this morning in Castille Square, Valletta.
The publication of the third Caritas report yesterday further reinforces the view that there are shortcomings in the way the minimum wage is being computed in Malta. The brunt of these shortcomings is mostly borne by vulnerable families. Yesterday’s Caritas study entitled “A Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living 2020” follows other Caritas studies published in 2012 and 2016. It explains how the basic needs of vulnerable families cannot be met if they are dependent on a single minimum wage.
Carmel Cacopardo said that Malta is one of other EU countries with a very low minimum wage, a wage which doesn’t give workers the dignity and respect they deserve. This is precisely why discussions are currently underway at a European Union level on a Directive for a uniform to compute minimum wages across the Union. According to documents published with the proposed Directive (https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1968) in most European Union member countries with a national minimum wage, this minimum wage is too low compared to other wages. It is not enough for a decent living even though there has been an increase in recent years. In the study on the impacts of this proposed measure it is explained that an increase in the minimum wage according to the criteria of the Directive described as a “double decency threshold” (60 percent of the median wage and 50 percent of the average wage) improves the wages of some 25 million workers in Europe.
The Caritas study concludes that a family consisting of two adults and two children needs €13,947 a year as a minimum to live decently. This is much higher requirement than the minimum wage of €181.08 per week in 2021, even when taking into account the June and December statutory bonuses.
The European Union’s impact assessment, based on the minimum wage in 2019, draws similar conclusions as the Caritas study as it indicates the need for an increase of €71 per week in the minimum wage minimum in Malta to make it suitable for a decent living.
It is obvious why the Maltese Government is opposing this proposed Directive. Its implementation not only improves the quality of life of those who are dependent on a minimum wage but also shakes to their foundations those sectors of the economy, protected by government, that are dependent on miserly and low wages.
Yesterday’s statement by Prime Minister Robert Abela, that Government willing to seriously consider the proposals of the Caritas report augurs well that even in Malta we will take the first steps to make the minimum wage a decent, and dignified income for all those who depend on it for their livelihoods.
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Dħul minimu għal għajxien diċenti
Il-paga minima kif inhi ikkalkulata f’Malta mhix adegwata biex min jiddependi minnha għall-għajxien tiegħu ikun jista’ jgħix ħajja dicenti. Huwa meħtieġ li l-pajjiż iħares lill-uliedu kollha f’kull ħin, in partikolari billi jassigura li jkollhom dħul minimu li jista’ jassigura għajxien dinjituż, għixien diċenti. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD huwa u jindirizza konferenza stampa dalgħodu fi Pjazza Kastilja l-Belt.
Il-pubblikazzjoni tat-tielet rapport tal-Caritas il-bieraħ ikompli jsaħħaħ il-fehma li hemm nuqqasijiet fil-mod kif qed tinħadem il-paga minima f’Malta. Nuqqasijiet li qed jerfgħuhom l-iktar il-familji vulnerabbli.
L-istudju tal-Caritas ippubblikat ilbieraħ intitolat “A Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living 2020” isegwi studji oħra tal-Caritas ippubblikati fl-2012 u fl-2016: jispjega kif il-ħtiġijiet bażiċi ta’ familji vulnerabbli ma jistgħux ikunu ndirizzati jekk dawn ikunu dipendenti fuq paga minima waħda.
Malta hi wieħed mill-pajjiżi b’paga minima baxxa li ma sservix, żied jgħid Carmel Cacopardo. Huwa minħabba f’hekk li fl-Unjoni Ewropea bħalissa għaddejjin diskussjonijiet dwar Direttiva biex ikun hemm mod uniformi fl-Unjoni kollha dwar kif tinħadem il-paga minima. Skond id-dokumenti ppubblikati mad-Direttiva proposta “fil-maġġoranza tal-pajjiżi membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea li għandhom paga minima nazzjonali, din il-paga minima hi baxxa wisq meta pparagunat ma’ pagi oħra. Mhix biżżejjed għal għajxien diċenti avolja kien hemm żieda fis-snin riċenti.” Fl-istudju dwar l-impatti ta’ din il-miżura proposta hu spejgat li żieda fil-paga minima skond il-kriterji tad-Direttiva deskritti bħala “double decency threshold” (60 fil-mija tal-paga medjana u 50 fil-mija tal-paga medja) ittejjeb il-pagi ta’ madwar 25 miljun ħaddiem fl-Ewropa.
L-istudju tal-Caritas jasal għall-konklużjoni li familja konsistenti f’żewġ adulti u żewġt itfal teħtieġ €13,947 fis-sena bħala minimu biex tgħix b’mod diċenti. Din hi ħtieġa ferm iktar mill-paga minima li fl-2021 hi ta’ €181.08 fil-ġimgħa, anke jekk wieħed jieħu in konsiderazzjoni l-bonus ta’ Ġunju kif ukoll dak ta’ Diċembru.
L-impact assessment tal-Unjoni Ewropea, a bażi ta’ kemm kienet il-paga minima fl-2019 jasal għal konklużjonijiet simili tal-istudju tal-Caritas għax jindika l-ħtieġa ta’ żieda ta’ €71 fil-ġimgħa fil-paga minima f’Malta biex din tkun addattata għal għajxien diċenti.
ADPD tifhem għaliex il-Gvern Malti qed jopponi din id-Direttiva. L-implimentazzjoni tagħha mhux biss iġġib il-quddiem il-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ kull min hu dipendenti fuq paga minima imma thezzez lil dawk is-setturi kollha tal-ekonomija li huma dipendenti fuq pagi baxxi.
Id-dikjarazzjoni tal-Prim Ministru Robert Abela ilbieraħ li l-Gvern lest li jikkunsidra bis-serjetà l-proposti tar-rapport tal-Caritas jawgura tajjeb li anke f’Malta nagħmlu l-ewwel passi biex il-paga minima tkun waħda li tiffaċilità l-għajxien diċenti ta’ kull min hu dipendenti minnha.