In a meeting with the General Workers Union, Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green Party discussed their manifesto for the upcoming elections with a focus on the future of work and the safeguarding of workers’ rights.
Carmel Cacopardo, chairperson of AD and MEP candidate said: “The current focus on growth through overdevelopment and heavy investment in the construction industry is creating an unsustainable scenario and precarity for workers in Malta. We are alarmed by the increase of deaths and injuries of workers on construction sites. This is neither a sign of quality jobs nor of a healthy economy.”
Mina Tolu, AD MEP candidate commented: “If the economy does not support a healthy society then the system is failing. Our economy is dependent and reliant on: workers who work multiple jobs; on young people who work unpaid internships; on migrants who carry out underpaid manual labour; and on people – particularly women – who take on the invisible, and unpaid, tasks of care work in the home and family. For a healthy and just society, we need to reframe our approach to the economy while strengthening workers’ rights, raising the minimum wage, banning unpaid internships, and ensuring health, safety and wellbeing at work.”
Carmel Cacopardo added: “The future of work in the developing green and digital economies offer us many opportunities. We advocate for a transition to a green economy that also creates new jobs as well as opportunities for re-training and life-long learning. A green economy will benefit people on all levels of society as we will have cleaner air and water and a healthier environment. We will push for clear policy to protect workers in the online-gig-economy, where workers are dependent on apps and short-term tasks, often with no guarantee of a minimum monthly wage or contract.”
***
F’ekonomija b’saħħita, in-nies jiġu qabel il-profitt, u bħala riżultat ta’ dan igawdi kulħadd
F’laqgħa mat-tmexxija tal-General Workers Union iktar kmieni illum Alternattiva Demokratika iddiskutit il-Manifest Elettorali għall-elezzjonijiet ta’ ftit ġimgħat oħra u dan b’enfasi fuq ix-xogħol u l-ħarsien tad-drittijiet tal-ħaddiema.
Carmel Cacopardo, chairperson ta’ AD u kandidat għall-Parlament Ewropew qal li : “L-enfasi fuq tkabbir ekonomiku li hu dipendenti fuq industrija tal-kostruzzjoni bla rażan qed toħloq xenarju li xejn ma hu sostenibbli b’sogru ta’ prekarjetà. Aħna mħassbin biż-żieda fl-imwiet u inċidenti li fihom iweġġgħu ħaddiema fuq siti ta’ kostruzzjoni. Dan la hu sinjal ta’ impiegi ta’ kwalità u wisq inqas ta’ ekonomija b’saħħitha.”
Mina Tolu, kandidat għall-Parlament Ewropew ikkumentat li: “Meta l-ekonomija ma tkunx ta’ sostenn għas-soċjetà, din tkun għadha lura. L-ekonomija tagħna hi dipendenti fuq ħaddiema li għandhom iktar minn impieg wieħed, żgħażagħ li jagħmlu xogħol ta’ interns bla ħlas, immigranti li jagħmlu xogħol manwali bi ħlas miżeru u fuq nisa li jagħmlu xogħol li ma jidhirx u ma jitħallasx fid-dar u mal-familja. Soċjetà b’saħħitha u ġusta teħtieġ li tindirizza dan kollu b’mod li kontinwament isaħħaħ id-drittijiet tal-ħaddiema, żżid il-paga minima, tipprojibixxi internships bla ħlas b’mod li tassigura l-ħarsien u s-saħħa fuq il-post tax-xogħol.”
Carmel Cacopardo żied jgħid: “Il-futur tax-xogħol f’ekonomija ħadra u ekonomija diġitali li qed jiżviluppaw joffrulna bosta opportunitajiet. Aħna naħdmu favur transizzjoni lejn ekonomija ħadra li toħloq l-impiegi kif ukoll tiffaċilita mhux biss it-taħriġ mill-ġdid imma ukoll tagħlim tul il-ħajja. Ekonomija ħadra jibbenifika minnha kulħadd għax tiffaċilità li jkollna ila u arja iktar nadifa kif ukoll ambjent iktar san. Naħdmu qatiegħ favur protezzjoni ċara għal dawk li huma dipendenti fuq l-ekonomija diġitali fejn il-ħaddiem hu dipendenti minn apps u xogħol fuq terminu qasir, ħafna drabi mingħajr rabta kuntrattwali inkella xi forma ta’ paga minima.”
