The minimum wage does not guarantee a decent living, as each and every person, irrespective of their work, deserves. This is made clear in the report on the ‘Minimum Essential Budget for a Decent Living’ published today by Caritas on the minimum income for a decent living.
A country which says that it is doing well economically, is at the same time tight fisted with the poor who earn the minimum wage. Caritas has shown clearly that the minimum wage is not enough for a decent living. The minimum wage has never been reviewed since its introduction in 1971. It is also obvious that 45 years later, the dignity of workers at minimum wage means that it should be reviewed.
AD spokesperson Mario Mallia insisted: “AD supports the recommendations of the report that the difference between the minimum essential income a family needs for a decent quality of life, and the national minimum wage, is reduced over a reasonably short period. The minimum wage should be increased to reflect the income necessary for a decent and dignified life.”
“Increasing the minimum wage would mean raising the general economic wealth since the increase would mean more spending in the economy by more people.”
“AD feels that by simply giving out benefits government is subsidising cheap labor and encouraging austerity. The difference in income between the current minimum wage and dependence on benefits is not such as to persuade the dependent to seek employment. It does not pay to work since both dependency on social benefits, as well as on the minimum wage, the risk of poverty still remains considerably high. In both cases the revenue is not enough not even for the essential minimum.”
Mario Mallia said: “AD also agrees with Caritas that those who genuinely cannot work because of different forms of disability should be guaranteed a decent and dignified life. It is a shame that the benefits for these people are more akin to charity than to the necessary to ensure dignity and social justice for the deserving.”
AD Secretary General, Ralph Cassar said: “AD congratulates Caritas for this serious and well researched report and studied. It sheds light on the realities that some find it comfortable to ignore. We hope that the recommendations in this report do not fall on deaf ears as happened with the first report in 2012. Social justice considerations demand otherwise.”
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Rapport Caritas – Il-paga minima ghandha tiggarantixxi ghixien dicenti – AD
Il-paga minima ma tigarantixxix ghixien dicenti kif haqqha kull persuna. Dan jaghmlu car ir-rapport ippublikat mill-Caritas fuq il-mimimu ta’ dhul ghal ghixien dicenti. Mhux gust li pajjiz li jghid li ekonomikament sejjer tajjeb, fl-istess waqt, kontra kull idea ta’ gustizzja socjali, jixxahhah ma min jaqla’ il-paga minima.
Id-dokument tal-Caritas juri b’mod car li l-paga minima mhix bizzejjed ghal ghixien dicenti. Ta’ min jghid li l-mod kif inhi ikkalkulata l-paga minima qatt ma giet riveduta sa minn meta tnediet fl-1971. Huwa ovvju wkoll li 45 sena wara, id-dinjita` tal-haddiema fuq paga minima titlob li din tigi riveduta.
Il-kelliem ta’ AD Mario Mallia sahaq:”AD tappoggja ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet tar-rapport li d-differenza bejn il-minimu dicenti ta’ dhul li ghandha bzonn familja ghall-ghixien xieraq, u l-paga minima, titnaqqas fuq perjodu rajonevoli li ma jkunx twil wisq, billi tizdied il-paga minima.”
“Zieda fil-paga minima tkun tfisser tkattir tal-gid ekonomiku b’mod generali peress li iz-zieda necessarja tkun tfisser iktar infiq fl-ekonomija minn iktar nies.”
“AD thoss li semplliciment b’ghotjiet ta’ flus, il-gvern qed jissussidja c-cheap labour u jinkoragixxi l-awsterita’. Id-differenza bejn il-paga minima u dipendenza fuq il-beneficcji mhix tali li tipperswadi lil min hu dipendenti ifittex xoghol. Il-fatt hu li kemm bid-dipendenza fuq il-beneficcji socjali, kif ukoll b’impjieg fuq il-paga minima, ir-riskju ta’ faqar xorta jibqa’ konsiderevoli u inqas mid-dhul meqjus bhala l-minimu essenzjali.”
Mario Mallia qal:”AD taqbel ukoll mal-Caritas li l-istat ghandu jiehu hsieb lil min ma jistax jahdem b’mod genwin minhabba forom differenti ta’ dizabilita`. Huwa ta’ ghajb li l-beneficcji ghal dawn il-persuni iktar qishom karita` milli assigurazzjoni ta’ dinjita` u gustizzja socjali.”
Is-Segretarju Generali ta’ AD, Ralph Cassar qal:”AD tifrah lill-Caritas ta’ dan ir-rapport serju u studjat li ghal darb’ ohra jitfa dawl fuq realitajiet li huwa iktar komdu li xi whud ma jitkellmux fuqhom. Nittamaw fl-ahhar nett li r-rakkomandazzjonijiet ta’ dan ir-rapport ma jaqghux fuq widnejn torox bhal ma gara wara l-pubblikazzjoni tal-ewwel rapport fl-2012. Il-gustizzja socjali titlob mod iehor.”
