In a statement on Workers’ Day, ADPD – The Green Party’s Deputy Chairperson Mario Mallia said that whilst workers have improved their conditions substantially over the years, an unacceptable number of workers are still afforded conditions prevalent a hundred years ago. This remains a stain on our collective conscience, argued Mallia. The state has the responsibility of assuring decent conditions that respect the dignity of all workers. In particular, Mallia referred to yet another tragic incident a couple of days back when an immigrant worker lost his life whilst working on a construction site. “Yet again, we have witnessed another tragedy amongst the immigrant community of workers which seems to have once again been ignored amongst a general sense of indifference”. Mallia asked how many more workers need to die for the state to take the bull by its horns and address the issue of exploitation of migrant workers in the construction industry in particular.
ADPD – The Green Party’s Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo referred as well to immigrant workers who work as food couriers in the catering industry. Whilst some companies employ such workers lawfully with all the rights afforded by law, there are many others who brazenly flout the law whilst the state looks on without implementing measures to control the situation. This is giving rise to a situation where companies unlawfully employing couriers are unjustly competing with the lawful ones by saving money by shirking their responsibilities towards their employees. This is resulting in law abiding companies facing a distinct disadvantage that risks running them out of business. Cacopardo insisted that it is high time that this sector is regularised, and the law is brought up to date where necessary to make sure that no workers are left languishing and exposed to unscrupulous exploitation by some. Cacopardo also urged unions in the country to come together in a common front to protect these exploited workers, among others.
“Workers’ Day should remind us that the economy cannot ride roughshod over workers, be they Maltese or immigrant,”argued Cacopardo.
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JUM IL-ĦADDIEM – Il-ħaddiema huma lilhinn minn mezz biex iddur ir-rota ekonomika
“Il-ħaddiema huma lilhinn minn mezz biex iddur ir-rota ekonomika.” Dan qalu d-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Mario Mallia fl-okkażjoni tal-jum li jfakkar ‘il-ħaddiema. Mallia sostna li filwaqt li l-ħaddiema għamlu kisbiet sostanzjali fil-jeddiet 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. B’mod partikolari irrefera għall-mewt ta’ ħaddiem immigrant ieħor fuq il-lant tax-xogħol fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni xi jiem ilu. “Għal darboħra assistejna għal mewt ta’ ħaddiem immigrant ieħor li baqgħet għaddejja kwazi b’sens ta’ indifferenza”. Mallia saqsa kemm iridu jmutu ħaddiema iżjed biex l-istat jonora l-obbligi tiegħu li jara li l-ħaddiema kollha specjalment dawk li huma vulnerabbli li jaħdmu fil-kostruzzjoni, jiġu protetti minn min huwa bla skruplu.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo irrefera wkoll għall-ħaddiema barranin li jaħdmu bħala ‘food couriers’ fil-qasam tal-catering. Filwaqt li hemm kumpaniji li jimpjegaw lil dawn il-ħaddiema bil-jeddiet li jixirqilhom skont il-liġi, hemm ħafna oħrajn li jiksru l-liġi bl-addoċċ u jsibu l-istat jagħlaq għajn waħda permezz ta’ nuqqas ta’ kontrolli adegwati. Dan qed iwassal biex il-kumpaniji li qed jiksru l-liġi qed jikkompetu nġustament mal-oħajn li l-liġi qed jirrispettawha, billi jiffrankaw l-ispejjeż tal-obbligi li għandhom lejn il-ħaddiema tagħhom. Dan qed ikollu l-konsegwenza li min josserva l-ligi qed jiġi żvantaġġjat. Cacopardo tenna li Ilu li wasal iż-żmien li dan is-settur jiġi regolarizzat kif jixraq anke billi l-liġi tiġi aġġornata sabiex ma jkunx hemm ħaddiema li jibqgħu jgħixu fil-limbu, esposti għal sfruttamemt bla skrupli. Cacopardo ħeġġeġ ukoll lill-unions fil-pajjiż biex jiġu flimkien ħalli jkunu tarka magħquda u b’saħħitha għal dawn il-ħaddiema u oħrajn li huma sfruttati.
Jum il-Ħaddiem għandu jfakkarna li r-rota ekonomika ma tistax tiddawwar a skapitu tal-jeddijiet tal-ħaddiema, kemm Maltin u kemm immigranti, temm jgħid Cacopardo.
