“Pajjiżna għamel qabżiet kbar biex il-ħaddiema jakkwistaw id-dinjita` li tixirqilhom. Madanakollu, ix-xenarju tad-dinja tax-xogħol qed jitbiddel b’mod mgħaġġel frott ekonomija li qed tigri ‘l quddiem ħafna iktar milli qed jiċċaqilqu l-mekkaniżmi ta’ lqugħ adekwat biex il-ħaddiema kollha jkunu protetti.”
Dan qalu d-Deputat Chairperson ta’ AD Mario Mallia fl-okkażjoni ta’ Jum il-Ħaddiem.
“Id-domanda għall-ħaddiema qiegħda tiżdied b’rata mgħaġġla tant li qed ikollhom jigu mgaġġati ħaddiema barranin. Hemm sinjali ċari li l-kisbiet għall-ħaddiema tul ħafna snin qed jitnaqqru f’tentattiv biex nissodisfaw il-ferneżija ekonomika. Huwa fatt li ħafna ħaddiema li għażlu li jiġu jaħdmu Malta, qed jitilqu ftit wara minħabba l-prezzijiet eżorbitanti tal-kirjiet. Dan qed iwassal għal sitwazzjoni ta’ ħafna ħaddiema barranin jgħixu f’gabubi ffullati u f’garaxxijiet tajbin biss għall-karozzi. Qed ikun hemm ukoll indikazzjonijiet ta’ ħaddiema li telqu minn sitwazzjoni ta’ faqar f’pajjiżhom biex jiġu jaħdmu f’pajjiżna, li qed jiġu sfruttati b’pagi miżeri. Għalina, dan huwa inaċċettabbli.”
Il-kelliema dwar id-Djalogu Socjali u l-Ugwaljanza, Anna Azzopardi iedet: “Ma nistgħux nifirħu b’ekonomija li tikber minn fuq dahar ħaddiema vulnerabbli. Il-mudell ta’ Dubaj li jsemmi ta’ spiss il-Prim Ministru huwa propju dak li pajjiżna għandu jevita; ferneżija ekonomika mħaddma minn fuq dahar ħaddiema minn pajjiżi tat-tielet dinja li qajla jistgħu jagħmlu mod ieħor.”
“Alternattiva Demokratika għaldaqstant tħeġġeg il-moviment trejdunjonistiku jaġġorna l-ħidma tiegħu sabiex jilħaq lil tant ħaddiema ġodda, speċjalment dawk f’ċertu setturi, li qed jiġu sfruttati kuljum sforz kilba għall-profitt bla rażan u nuqqas ta’ protezzjoni. Tħeġġeġ ukoll lill-gvern biex isaħħah l-organi ta’ sorveljanza fosthom dawn fuq saħħa u sigurta` biex dawn ikunu f’pozizzjoni li jlaħqu max-xenarji ġodda li qed jiżvolġu.”
“Huwa ta’ tħassib ukoll li biex ħaddiema jkunu kapaċi jissellfu biex jixtru dar, il-paga trid tkun mill-inqas 20,000 Ewro fis-sena. Meta tqis li dan l-ammont huwa ħarira aktar mid-dħul gross medju tal-ħaddiema f’Malta, malajr tinduna kemm id-diffikultajiet għal ħafna ħaddiema huma kbar.”
“Alternattiva Demokratika għaldaqstant tinsisti li t-tkabbir ekonomiku ma jistax ikun l-uniku kejl ta’ progress ta’ pajjiżna. Tinsisti bil-bżonn li dan it-tkabbir ikun wieħed sostenibbli soċjalment u ambjentalment b’mod li jirrispetta l-istess ħaddiema li jiġġenerawh. Jum il-Ħaddiema għandu jfakkarna f’dan il-bżonn”, temmet tgħid Azzopardi.
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On Workers’ Day, AD insists on social protection for the growing number of vulnerable workers
“Our country has made great strides forward when it comes to workers’ rights and conditions of work. However, the world is changing rapidly and social protection laws are not keeping up with a neoliberal economy moving ahead at breakneck speed without adequate regard to the plight and quality of life of workers”, said AD Deputy Chairperson Mario Mallia on the occasion of Workers’ Day.
“The demand for workers is increasing rapidly, so much so that foreign labour is being imported to fill up vacancies. There are clear signs that the gains in workers’ rights are being eroded in a bid to keep up with an economic vision of growth at all costs. It is a fact that many workers choosing to work in Malta, are ending up leaving due to exorbitant rents. This is leading to a situation where many foreign workers live in crowded conditions and even in garages. There are also indications of workers who left their countries to avoid poverty who are ending up exploited for poverty wages here in Malta. This is unacceptable.”
AD spokesperson on Social Dialogue and Equality, Anna Azzopardi added: “An economy which grows on the backs of vulnerable workers, is not something to be proud of. The Dubai model mentioned frequently by the Prime Minister is precisely what our country should avoid; an unsustainable, runaway economic built at the expense of workers from third world countries.”
“We Greens urge the trade union movement to keep up to the changing realities of the economy and increase its invaluable work in order to meet the needs of so many workers, especially those in certain sectors, who are being exploited daily. We also urge the government to strengthen the state’s supervisory agencies including those on health and safety.”
“We are also concerned that for people to be able to take out a mortgage, even for small flats, they must earn at least 20,000 Euro a year. Given that this is slightly higher than the average gross income of workers in Malta, it is patently obvious that many people are facing huge difficulties. Most people earn wages which are not enough for a good quality of life.”
“AD insists that economic growth cannot be the only measure of progress. We insist that the economy should be at the service of social justice and environmental sustainability, and not the other way round. On Workers Day we insist on an economy which respects and offers a good quality of life to workers, the people who literally make the economy tick. We insist on an economy for the many and not the few”, concluded Azzopardi.
