On the occasion of workers’ day AD Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola said: “Precarious work is still here to haunt us. The government has blacklisted two companies but in reality it should actually blacklist itself since government is issuing tenders offering 5.78 euros an hour as labour payment. No doubt the tender winners end up then paying their employees a miserly 4.14 euros an hour, or around that.

“Moreover, unequal pay for equal work is now also being experienced. For example, Arriva drivers employed with Transport Malta are paid 5.15 euros an hour, whilst the drivers contracted by private companies and doing the same work get paid around double. Clerks at Mater Dei employed by Group 4 are getting paid much less then government clerks doing the same work in the same hospitals. Such injustices cannot continue and decent salaries for all must be assured.”

AD Deputy Chairperson, Carmel Cacopardo, said: “As a party that believes in social justice and social equality, we believe that there is much more to be done to ensure a more accessible and just labour market. Despite some effort by the Government to fight precarious employment, there are still workers who do not enjoy decent working conditions. Some groups are more vulnerable than others and are more likely to be exploited due to a number of factors such as their level of education, their sexual orientation, skin colour, and gender. More efforts have to be made to ensure that the laws are enforced. Once more we insist on the importance of revising the minimum wage.”

Robert Callus, AD spokesperson on social issues, said: “We are happy that the Government will soon be introducing free childcare schemes to ensure that the labour market is more accessible to parents with small children. AD has been harping on the need for policies which facilitiate a work-life balance for many years. However, we still need to work harder to ensure that the labour market truly gives equal opportunities to all. For example, persons with disability find it very difficult to find employment. Women are still absent in the higher positions of society. Non-Maltese still suffer discrimination.

“We acknowledge that the Government has launched a scheme to ensure that more young people are in education, training or employment. Although in Malta inactivity is a bigger problem than unemployment, we cannot dismiss unemployment figures especially among young people. The rate of youth unemployment is double the national average. Apart from the problem of early school leavers, the problem of underemployment is also being felt in Malta. Therefore we have to work harder to encourage more people to improve their skills and education but also to ensure that they will find a matching job after they finish their studies.”

Fl-okkażjoni ta’ jum il-ħaddiem, iċ-Chairperson ta’ AD, Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal:  “Ix-xogħol prekarju għadu magħna. Il-Gvern ikkastiga żewġ kumpaniji imma fil-fatt kien imissu jikkastiga lilu nnifsu meta qed joffri tenders bil-5.78 ewro is-siegħa bħala ħlas. Bla dubju imbaghad dawk li jirbħu t-tender jispiċċaw iħallsu lill-ħaddiema tagħhom il-miżerja ta’ xi 4.14 ewro fis-siegħa.

“Barra minn hekk, ħlas differenti għal xogħol simili illum qiegħed ikun ikun esperjenzat minn ċerti ħaddiema.  Per eżempju, xufiera tal-Arriva impjegati minn Transport Malta jitħallsu 5.15 ewro s-siegħa, filwaqt li xufiera li jaħdmu bil-kuntratt ma’ kumpaniji privati u li qed jagħmlu l-istess xogħol, jitħallsu d-doppju. Ħaddiema klerikali impjegati mill-Group 4 f’Mater Dei jitħallsu ħafna inqas minn ħaddiema klerikali mal-gvern li jagħmlu l-istess xogħol fl-istess sptarijiet. Inġustizzji bħal dawn ma jistgħux jibqgħu għaddejjin u hemm bżonn li kull ħaddiem jaqla’ paga diċenti.”

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ AD, Carmel Cacopardo, qal: “Bħala partit li jemmen fil-ġustizzja soċjali u fl-ugwaljanza soċjali, aħna nemmnu li hemm ħafna aktar x’jista’ jsir biex is-suq tax-xogħol ikun aktar aċċessibbli u ġust. Minkejja l-isforzi tal-gvern biex jiġġieled il-prekarjat, għad hemm ħaddiema li m’għandhomx kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol diċenti. Ċerti gruppi huma aktar vulnerabbli minn oħrajn u għandhom aktar ċans li jkunu sfruttati minħabba numru ta’ fatturi bħal-livell tal-edukazzjoni, l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħhom, il-kulur tal-ġilda jew il-ġeneru. Jeħtieġ aktar sforzi biex il-liġijiet ikunu infurzati. Għal darb’oħra ninsistu wkoll li l-paga minima għandha tkun riveduta.”

Robert Callus, il-kelliem ta’ AD għall-politika soċjali, qal: “Aħna kuntenti li l-gvern dalwaqt ser jintroduċi skemi għall-ħarsien tat-tfal biex is-suq tax-xogħol ikun aktar aċċessibbli għall-ġenituri bi tfal żgħar. AD ilha ħafna snin tappella għal politika soċjali li tippermetti bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja personali. Imma rridu naħdmu aktar biex is-suq tax-xogħol jagħti verament opportunitajiet indaqs lil kulħadd. Per eżempju, persuni b’diżabilita` isibuha diffiċli ħafna biex isibu impjieg. In-nisa għadhom neqsin f’pożizzjonijiet għoljin fis-soċjeta`.  Ħaddiema barranin għadhom jaffaċjaw id-diskriminazzjoni.

“Aħna nirrikonoxxu li l-gvern nieda skema biex aktar żgħażagħ ikunu involuti f’edukazzjoni, taħriġ jew impjieg. Għalkemm f’Malta l-inattivita` hija problema akbar mill-qagħad, ma nistgħux ninjoraw il-figuri tal-qagħad speċjalment fost iż-żgħażagħ. Ir-rata tal-qagħad fost iż-żgħażagħ hija d-doppju tal-medja nazzjonali. Apparti l-problema ta’ dawk li jitilqu mill-iskola kmieni, il-problema ta’ dawk li ma jsibux xogħol li jikkorrispondi mal-ħiliet tagħhom qiegħda tinħass ukoll f’Malta. Għalhekk irridu naħdmu aktar biex inħajru aktar nies biex mhux biss itejbu l-ħiliet tagħhom imma ukoll biex nisguraw li dawn se jsibu xogħol addattat wara li jispiċċaw l-istudji tagħhom.”