Il-ħaddiema huma ħafna aktar minn mezz biex iddur ir-rota ekonomika. Il-mentalità tal-gvern hija li l-ħaddiema, fi kliem il-Prim Ministru Abela, huma sempliċiment ‘riżorsa’. Mhux ta’ b’xejn li l-paga minima f’Malta hija fost l-aktar baxxi fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Mhux ta’ b’xejn li t-tkabbir ekonomiku huwa bbażat fuq l-ispekulazzjoni tal-art, minn skemi bħal taċ-ċittadinanza, u setturi magħrufin għall-pagi baxxi, bħall-kostruzzjoni, u it-turiżmu. Il-ġid li qed jinħoloq mit-tkabbir ekonomiku mhux qed imur għand il-ħaddiem, la direttament u lanqas lejn it-taħriġ tagħhom. Minflok dan qed imur għand l-ispekulaturi. It-tkabbir ekonomiku huwa finta għax ibbażat fuq l-ispekulazzjoni mhux fuq l-iżvilupp sħiħ u d-dinjità tal-ħaddiema.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet li “minflok jara li l-paga minima tkun verament tirrifletti l-minimu neċessarju għal għajxien dinjituż, il-gvern, meta jrid u meta jfettillu, taparsi jagħmel il-karità u jqassam iċ-ċekkijiet. Din mhux ġustizzja soċjali iżda mod insolenti kif iġġib in-nies dipendenti fuq il-loqom mingħand il-gvern. Suppost skont id-direttiva tal-UE dwar il-paga minima l-gvern jagħmel monitoraġġ ta’ kemm il-paga minima hija adegwata għal għajxien dinjituż u jirrapporta lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea kull sentejn. Interessati nkunu nafu jekk filfatt il-gvern hux qed jagħmel l-istudji neċessarji. Hu meħtieg li dawn l-istudji, meta jsiru, jkunu ppubblikati. Rapporti kemm tal-Caritas, kif ukoll tal-Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar u l-GWU diġa juru li l-paga minima filfatt mhux adegwata. Filwaqt li l-ħaddiema għamlu kisbiet sostanzjali fil-jeddijiet tagħhom tul is-snin, għad għandna tebgħa fuq il-kuxjenza kollettiva tagħna li fadal ħaddiema fostna li jitħaddmu b’kundizzjonijiet ta’ mitt sena ilu. L-istat għandu l-obbligu li jiżgura li l-ħaddiema kollha, huma min huma, ikunu trattati b’mod diċenti, b’kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol li jirrispettaw id-dinjità tagħhom. Għadna qed naraw wisq inċidenti fis-settur tal-kostruzzjoni. Għad hemm wisq setturi ibda minn dak tal-kura tal-anzjani u tat-tfal li huma bbażati fuq pagi baxxi, nuqqas ta’ taħriġ, u nuqqas ta’ prospetti tajbin għal karriera.”

“B’31% tal-ħaddiema biss koperti bi ftehim kollettiv, Malta hija fost dawk il-pajjiżi bl-aktar rata baxxa ta’ ħaddiema koperti. Minkejja l-ftaħir tal-partit fil-gvern li huwa xi ‘partit jew gvern tal-ħaddiema’ l-gvern iffoka fuq setturi li jagħmlu lis-sinjuri aktar sinjuri, bl-aktar eżempju lampanti jkun tal-iskema tal-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza Maltija, li għamlet lill-ispekulaturi tal-art u lil ditti ta’ avukati sinjuri aktar milli diġa huma. Il-frak iħallieh għall-aktar ħaddiema vulnerabbli. Minkejja li l-gvern għandu għodda legali li seta’ jsaħħaħ jew juża aħjar bħal per eżempju l-Wage Regulation Orders, li bihom seta’ irregola aktar b’saħħa l-kundizzjonijiet tal-ħaddiema f’ċerti setturi magħrufin sew għall-kundizzjonijiet u pagi baxxi, dan baqa’ m’għamlux.”

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Dr Ralph Cassar qal “Aħna nilqgħu d-direttiva tal-Unjoni Ewropea dwar il-ħtiega li aktar ħaddiema jkunu koperti bi ftehim kollettiv, li, jekk implimentata bis-serjetà tista’ twassal għal kundizzjonijiet aħjar għall-ħaddiema kollha. Diversi dokumenti minn federazzjonijiet ta’ trade unions Ewropej u anke minn studjużi tas-suq tax-xogħol minn lenti progressiva, fosthom studju riċenti tal-Professur Godfrey Baldacchino jagħtu direzzjoni ċara ta’ kif nistgħu naslu biex inżidu l-ħaddiema li jkunu koperti bi ftehim kollettiv. Nistgħu anke naraw in-numru ta’ unions speċjalizzati f’ċerti oqsma jiżdiedu.”

“L-ewwel ħaġa li seta’ jagħmel il-gvern mingħajr ma joqgħod jistenna d-direttiva tal-UE hija li jimbotta biex isiru ftehimiet kollettivi settorjali bejn rappreżetanti ta’ min jimpjega fis-settur, per eżempju tat-turiżmu u tal-ħwienet, u numru ta’ trade unions li jagħżlu jew jiffurmaw il-ħaddiema. Mill-ewwel il-gvern jista’ jsaħħaħ il-Wage Regulation Orders, speċjalment f’setturi li fihom il-unions jsibuha diffiċli biex jorganizzaw il-ħaddiema, u jtihom saħħa ta’ ftehim kolletiv settorali. L-Employment Relations Board hija struttura li tista’ tissaħħaħ biex jkun hemm djalogu effettiv f’ċerti setturi diffiċli. Il-gvern imma qatt ma ried jirfes kallijiet. Kif jissuġġerixxi wkoll il-Professur Baldacchino fejn m’hemmx unions li jirrappreżentaw aktar minn 50% tal-ħaddiema, l-liġi għandha tinbidel biex jsir possibbli negozjati mal-unions kollha li jirrappreżentaw il-ħaddiema li għażlu li jissieħbu f’union jew unions, bil-ftehim jgħodd għall-ħaddiema kollha. Dawk il-ħaddiema imsieħba f’union jkunu b’hekk qed jingħataw dritt li jagħmlu ftehim kollettiv ma’ min iħaddimhom. Sħubija awtomatika f’union li tirrappreżenta l-biċċa l-kbira tal-ħaddiema f’settur jew post tax-xogħol partikolari hija l-għażla li qed isemmi l-gvern. Imma huwa ovvju li din l-għażla neċessarjament tinvolvi opt-out (minħabba l-prinċipju kostituzzjonali tal-libertà ta’ assoċjazzjoni) ta’ min ma jridx ikun membru ta’ union partikolari jew l-ebda union. Jista’ jkun hemm fond imwaqqaf mill-gvern biex dawk il-ħaddiema li jagħżlu li ma jkunux f’union xorta jikkontribwixxu għall-ispejjeż involuti biex isir in-negozjar u d-djalogu neċessarju bejn il-ħaddiema u min iħaddem kemm fuq livell settorjali, kif ukoll f’postijiet tax-xogħol partikolari. Mhux qed nivvintaw ir-rota, dawn il-mekkaniżmi diġa jeżistu f’pajjiżi oħra.”

“Il-gvern qagħad jistenna meta diġà għandu l-għodda kollha f’liġijiet tar-relazzjonijiet industrijali, li b’tibdiliet għar-realtajiet tal-lum jistgħu jagħtu spinta kbira għat-titjib tal-kundizzjonijiet tal-ħaddiema, speċjalment dawk l-aktar vulnerabbli.”

Workers are more than just a cog in the economic system – ADPD

Workers are more than just a cog in the economic machine. The government’s view of the worker, according to Prime Minister Abela, is simply that of a resource. It is no wonder that Malta’s minimum wage is amongst the lowest to be found in the European Union, since the ‘cost’ of this ‘resource’ is kept as low as possible. It also comes as no surprise that our current economic growth is based on land speculation and schemes such as the hawking of citizenship for the super wealthy, and other sectors dependent on low wages, such as construction, land speculation, and tourism. So-called economic growth is not reaching workers, neither is it going towards their training and development. Instead, in an economy based on speculation, this growth is being concentrated in the pockets and assets of speculators.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said “instead of ensuring that the minimum wage truly reflects the necessary minimum needed to live with dignity, this government resorts to fake charity every now and then by distributing the occasional cheque. This is not social justice but an insult, as it makes people depend on crumbs from the government. According to an EU directive, the government is obliged to monitor the adequacy of the minimum wage and report back to the European Commission every two years. It would be interesting to know if the government is actually having the necessary studies done. These studies should be published as soon as possible. Reports by Caritas, and Alleanza kontra l-Faqar/GWU have consistently shown that the minimum wage is not at all adequate for today’s needs. Whilst workers have made considerable progress fighting for their rights over the years, we are still collectively guilty of the fact that there are still workers who face work conditions like those of a century ago. The state has the obligation to make sure that all workers, whoever they may be, are to be treated decently, with work conditions that respect their dignity. We still see too many accidents in the construction sector. There sectors that thrive on low wages, such as those in the care sector. A sector plagued by a lack of training and a lack of good career prospects.”

“With only 31% of workers covered by a collective agreement, Malta is amongst EU countries with a very low rate of union membership. Even though the party in government claims to be the worker’s party, the government has focused on sectors that make the rich richer. Take for example the Maltese golden citizenship scheme, it is obvious that this was designed to make land speculators and legal firms richer than ever. Not to mention the pricing of people out of the housing market. The crumbs are reserved for vulnerable workers. In spite of the government having the legal tools to strengthen or to build upon Wage Regulation Orders, by which could regulate better sectors known for low wages and bad working conditions, no such action has been taken.”

ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar said “We welcome the EU directive mandating the coverage of at least 80% of workers by a collective agreement, which if implemented seriously would result in all workers benefiting from better working conditions. Various reports from federations of trade unions around Europe, as well as studies on employment from a progressive lens, amongst them a study by Professor Godfrey Baldacchino, give a clear direction as to how we can increase the number of workers covered by a collective agreement. A positive effect of this directive may also be the increase in the number of specialised unions in sectors which are not currently unionised being established.”

“The first thing that the government could have done was to push for sectoral collective agreements between employer representatives in various sectors, for example in tourism and retail, and the unions of choice of workers in these sectors. This could have been done without waiting for an EU directive. But the so-called ‘workers’ party in government’ could not be bothered. The government could have strengthened the Wage Regulations Order, particularly in sectors where unions find it difficult to organise. The Employment Relations Board can be given greater authority to demand effective dialogue in the more difficult sectors. However, the government is not willing to rock the boat. As suggested by Professor Baldacchino, in situations where fewer than 50% of workers are represented by a union, the law should be changed to allow unions to negotiate on behalf of their members, with agreements extended to all workers in the sector. This would give union members the right to a collective agreement. Automatic union membership is the only option being considered by the government. This is a viable option, but must necessarily be offered in conjunction with an opt-out clause (due to the constitutional principle concerning the freedom of association). To counteract free riders, a fund to which non-union workers should contribute should be established by the government to cover the expenses involved for negotiations on behalf of workers and employers. We are not reinventing the wheel but simply pointing out best-practices in other countries.”

“The government has wasted enough time despite having at its disposal all the legal tools necessary concerning industrial relations. Industrial relations’ legislation should be updated to reflect today’s needs, with a focus on improving workers’ conditions, particularly those of the most vulnerable workers.”