Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party Chairperson Michael
Briguglio addressed the conference of the FORUM trade union.

In his address, Michael Briguglio reaffirmed AD’s total support of
Forum’s request to join the MCESD.

Briguglio added that class differences are growing in a context of
economic crisis and austerity measures, and called for policies which
can help improve workers’ quality of life.

“An updated methodology should replace the current one on which COLA
is based.  AD has also been calling for an increase in the minimum
wage and for a revision in the way it is calculated. We are glad that
apart from other progressive organisations and unions, Caritas is also
putting forward this demand”.

“Another major issue which is increasingly characterising employment
in Malta is precariousness.  Government should set the example by
banning public service contracts based on unacceptable conditions”.

“AD also believes that gender equality should be stepped up in the
labour market and that trade unions should step up activism for groups
facing inequalities, such as persons with disability, immigrants,
ex-prisoners, and ageing workers”.

Briguglio called for policies which generate green jobs, adding that
the state has a vital role to play in ensuring more just and
sustainable social, economic and environmental policies which effect
workers’ job conditions and quality of life.

“As we are seeing in the field of energy, for example, weak governance
and lack of foresight is resulting in increased hardships on workers”.

Michael Briguglio appealed to trade unions “to act on the basis of
working class interests, and not on partisan tribalism, and to step-up
alliance building at national, European and global levels, not only
with fellow trade-unions, but also with other movements, in the
struggle for a social, ecological and sustainable Europe”.

—

Full text of Michael Briguglio’s speech:

Diskors, Michael Briguglio Chairperson, Alternattiva Demokratika
Konferenza tal-FORUM, 12 ta’ April 2012
Ihossni onorat li qed nindirizza din il-konferenza tal-Forum bhala
Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika.
Forum tirraprezenta 12,000 haddiem li fost ohrajn jinkludu
professjonisti bhall-akkademici, ghalliema, imfermiera, qwiebel,
piloti u inginiera ta’ l-ajruplani, izda madankollu ghada m’hjiex
rapprezentata fil-Kunsill Malti ghall-Izvilupp Ekonomiku u Socjali.
Alternattiva Demokratika terga’ ssostni l-appogg shih taghha
ghat-talba tal-Forum biex tkun parti mill-MCESD.
Sfortunatament, il-politika partiggjana u alleanzi ta’ klassi socjali
qed iwasslu ghall-eskluzzjoni tal-Forum minn din ir-rapprezentanza.
Meta wiehed janalizza t-tip ta’ haddema li hemm imsiehba mal-Forum,
wiehed jista’ jikkonkludi li aktarx din il-unjin ser tibqa’ tikber
fis-snin li gejjin. Ghalhekk, l-eskluzzjoni tal-Forum mill-MCESD qed
tfisser li eluf ta’ haddiema mhux qed jigu rapprezentati f’din
l-istituzzjoni.
Minn naha l-ohra, il-Forum giet accettata bhala membru tal-MEUSAC.
Alternattiva Demokratika hija kburija li hadmet ghall-inkluzjoni
tal-Forum f’din l-istituzzjoni.
Illum nixtieq nitkellem dwar xi sfidi li nikkunsidra bhala importanti
ghall-unjins u l-haddiema f’Malta.
Biex nibda, ma naqbilx ma dawk li jemmnu l-klassi socjali spiccat.
Jekk xejn, id-differenzi bejn il-klassijiet qed jikbru f’kuntest ta’
krizijiet ekonomici u mizuri ta’ awsterita’.
Il-fatt baziku li haddiema ibieghu ix-xoghol taghhom lil min
jimpjegohom ghadu jregi, u minnu nnifsu, dan jirraprezenta
inugwaljanza fis-socjeta’ ta’ zminijietna.
Minn naha l-ohra, il-klassi tal-haddiema hija diversifikata mhux biss
f’dak li ghandu x’jaqsam ma’ tip ta’ ipjieg, kundizzjonijiet ta’
xoghol u fatturi strutturali ohra, izda hija karatterizzata wkoll minn
differenzi fil-percezzjonijiet, aspirazzjonijiet, stil ta’ hajja u
affiljazzjoni politika. Dawn id-divergenzi jistghu jispjegaw ghal xiex
Malta m’ghandhiex vuci maghquda dwar kwistjonijiet ta’ importanza
kbira ghall-haddiema.
Kwistjoni importanti f’dan ir-rigward hi li jkun hemm assessjar
realistiku tal-COLA, sabiex il-kumpens ta’ kull sena verament
jirrifletti iz-zieda fl-inflazzjoni. Ghalhekk, ghandu jkun hemm
riforma fil-metodologija li tintuza f’dan ir-rigward.
Alternattiva Demokratika ilha titlob ukoll ghal zieda fil-paga minima
u ghal revizjoni fil-mod kif din tigi kkalkulata. Ahna sodisfatti li
apparti organizazzjonijiet progressive ohra, issa anke l-Caritas qed
taghmel din it-talba.
Zieda fil-paga minima ghandha tinghata ukoll lill-haddiema part-time u
lil dawk li qed jigu sfurzati jirregistraw bhala self-employed. Dan
jghin sabiex titjieb il-kwalita’ tal-hajja ta’ haddiema b’paga baxxa.
Dan ikun ta’ inkurragiment sabiex iktar persuni jidhlu f’impjieg
formali, u jinkoraggixxi iktar produttivita’ fil-process.
Kwistjoni ohra ta’ importanza kbira hi dik tax-xoghol prekarju.
In-nuqqas ta’ sigurta’ u kundizzjonijiet hziena ta’ xoghol qed
jinfirxu f’setturi varji ta’ l-ekonomija, minn xoghol ta’ tindif sa
xoghol ta’ ricerka, b’haddiema jigu impjegati b’kuntratti definitit
jew li jigu mgieghla jirregistraw bhala self-employed.
Dan qed izid l-istress, l-anzjeta’ u r-riskji lill-haddiema li ma
jistghux jippjanaw minhaba nuqqas ta’ sigurta’, jew li ma jistghux
ilahhqu ma’ l-gholi tal-hajja, gieli anke b’paga iktar baxxa mill-paga
minima.
Il-Gvern u l-MCESD ghandhom juru determinazzjon ikbar kontra dawn
is-sitwazzjonijiet. Il-Gvern ghandu jaghti l-ezempju billi jwaqqaf
kuntratti pubblici ibbazati fuq kundizzjonijiet inaccettabbli.
Ghandhom jigu introdotti standards cari f’dan ir-rigward.
Alternattiva Demokratika temmen ukoll li l-ugwaljanza bejn is-sessi
ghandha tinghata iktar importanza fil-politika dwar l-impjiegi.
Dan m’ghandux ifisser biss li jkun hemm persentagg ikbar ta’ nisa
b’impjieg, jew li jkun hemm biss zieda ta’ nisa fi grad manigerjali.
Li hemm bzonn iktar u iktar hu li jkun hemm politika socjali iktar
egalitarja, li taghti priorita’ ghall-job sharing, hinijiet ta’ xoghol
flessibli b’ghazla tal-haddiem, childcare centres accessibbli – inkluz
wara l-hin ta’ l-iskola, u affarijiet ohra simili.
Il-leave tal-genituri ghandu jibqa’ jizdied lejn in-norma fl-Unjoni
Ewropea, u l-gvern ghandu jibqa’ jerfa parti minn nefqa ghal dan.
Il-politika socjali Maltija ghandha tippromwovi l-kuncett ta’
universal caregivers, fejn in-nisa u l-irgiel – irrispettivament
mill-qaghda taghhom – ghandhom ikunu attivi kemm fl-isfera pubblika
(impjieg, socjeta’ civili, hin hieles ecc..) kif ukoll fl-isfera
privata (harsien tad-dipendenti ecc..).
Barra minn hekk ghandna naspiraw ukoll sabiex ikollna inqas hin ta’
xoghol u iktar hin hieles. Dan ghandu jkun iktar ottenibbli f’kuntest
ta’ produttivita akbar.
Galadarba l-unjins tal-haddiema kienu u ghadhom krucjali fir-rebhiet
tal-klassi tal-haddiema, ahna nappellaw lill-istess unjins sabiex
izidu l-attivizmu favur kategoriji u gruppi li qed jiffaccjaw
sitwazzjonijiet ta’ inugwaljanza fid-dinja tax-xoghol. Dawn jinkludu
persuni b’dizabilita’, immigranti, eks-habsin u haddiema anzjani.
Proposti ohrajn li nappoggjaw jinkludu li l-closed shops isiru
illegali; li jkun hemm vot sigriet bejn il-haddiema qabel azzjoni
industrijali; u li kull kuntratt definit li jiġi mġedded għal aktar
minn sena għandu jitqies awtomatikament bħala kuntratt indefinit.< br />L-ahhar izda zgur li mhux l-inqas, flimkien ma’ partiti hodor ohrajn,
ma’ unjins tal-haddiema u mal-Gnus Maqghuda, AD tappoggja l-vizjoni
tal-Green New Deal.
Din il-vizjoni taspira ghall-generazzjoni ta’ green jobs f’oqsma
bhall-edukazzjoni, informatika, trasport, turizmu, immaniggjar ta’
l-iskart, agrikultura u ohrajn. Permezz ta’ dan, jinholoq ix-xoghol
filwaqt li jigi protett l-ambjent. Izda, l-istess bhal f’kull settur
iehor ta’ l-ekonomija, ghandu jigi zgurat li impjiegi godda ma jkunux
prekarji.
Ghad irridu naraw jekk sidien humiex lesti jirrikorru ghal iktar
investiment sostenibbli u jekk il-Gvern huwiex lest jaghti iktar
incentive f’dan il-qasam.
Alternattiva Demokratika temmen li l-istat ghandu rwol ewlieni biex
tigi zgurata politika socjali, ambjentali u ekonomika li tkun gusta u
sostenibbli, u li jaffettaw b’mod pozittiv il-kundizzjonijiet ta’
xoghol u l-kwalita’ tal-hajja. Bhal ma qed naraw fil-qasam ta’
l-energija, governanza dghajfa u nuqqas ta’ ppjanar qed iwasslu ghal
tbatijiet ghal hafna haddiema.
Bl-istess mod, nemmnu li l-unjins tal-haddiema huma krucjali
fl-attivizmu tal-haddiema ghal hajja iktar dinjituza
Ghalhekk, ghandi zewg appelli.
L-ewwel, li l-unjins jibbazaw l-attivizmu taghhom fl-interess
tal-klassi tal-haddiema, u mhux fuq partiggjanizmu tribali
It-tieni, li l-unjins ikattru iktar alleanzi fuq livelli nazzjonali,
Ewropej u globali, mhux biss ma’ unjins ohra, izda wkoll ma’ movementi
ohrajn, fil-glieda ghal Ewropa u dinja iktar socjali, ekologika u
sostenibbli.
Grazzi.