Earlier today, Moviment Graffitti, along with a number of other organisations, launched the ‘Justice for Workers’ campaign in a press conference held symbolically beneath Manwel Dimech’s monument in Castille Square.
The campaign document – outlining the current unjust scenario as well as seven demands for justice – illustrates how, amidst a steadily growing economy, we have a widening wealth gap, workers’ exploitation and unsatisfactory working conditions, leaving an extremely negative impact on the quality of life of thousands of workers.
Government continues to fail workers in Malta, failing to enforce and upgrade safeguards, raise wages adequately and address new exploitative realities such as the gig economy. It also deliberately curbed EU mandated improved work-life balance measures that could have improved the lives of many parents and carers.
Many Maltese workers, including youths and graduates, do not see a future on the island and prefer to work abroad, given the option. Inflation and the higher cost of living have meant that the value of workers’ wages decreased. In terms of purchasing power, Malta is among the seven EU countries with the lowest minimum wage and among the eight EU countries with the lowest average wage.
Malta’s ever-growing economy now depends significantly on cheap foreign labour, with wages remaining low and exploitation increasing. Moreover, administrative measures imposed by Government leave many migrant workers dependant on their employers and unable to fight exploitation.
The organisations emphasised that workers are not machines to be used and abused at will. Workers deserve the dignity, the rights and the monetary compensation that enable them to live decently.
The organisations are demanding a different economic model that places workers, not private profits, at its centre by:
1. Revising wages at the bottom of the salary hierarchy for a substantial increase. To this end, Malta should aim for a minimum wage that constitutes a living income. Raising the minimum wage will organically lead to an increase in all low wages which will have to be adjusted upwards in relation to the elevated wage floor.
2. Upgrading the conditions of work for all workers through mandatory work-life balance measures, such as a shorter working week and more paid maternity, paternity, parental and caring leave.
3. Revising Malta’s outdated employment laws in order to effectively address new exploitative realities.
4. Ensuring that one public entity is responsible for following up reports of workers’ abuse, in all its different forms, and taking effective action against them.
5. Removing administrative measures which are structurally placing migrant workers at the mercy of their employers, thus breeding exploitation. All workers should have equal access, in practice, to effective remedies against abuse.
6. Introducing binding regulations on rent prices and prices of basic necessities, so as to prevent abuse driven by the thirst for predatory profits, and to safeguard the purchasing power of workers.
7. Promoting workers’ participation in decision making.
The ‘Justice for Workers’ campaign will be continuously bringing these issues to light and keep fighting for the rights and dignity of workers. Groups that favour social justice are welcome to join this campaign by reaching out to Moviment Graffitti.
The organisations endorsing the campaign are:
Aditus Foundation
Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
Betapsi
Blue Door Education
Dance Beyond Borders
Earth Systems Association
Jesuit Refugee Service – Malta (JRS)
Justice and Peace Commission
Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ)
Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU)
Moviment Graffitti
Solidarjetà – Workers’ and tenants’ union
Young Progressive Beings (YPB)
Żgħażagħ Ħaddiema Nsara (ŻĦN)
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Ġustizzja mal-Ħaddiema! Imnedija kampanja favur id-drittijiet tal-ħaddiema u ekonomija ġusta
Iktar kmieni llum, il-Moviment Graffitti flimkien ma numru ta’ organizzazzjonijiet oħra, nieda l-kampanja ‘Ġustizzja mal-Ħaddiema’ waqt konferenza stampa li simbolikament saret taħt il-momument ta’ Manwel Dimech fi Pjazza Kastilja.
Id-dokument tal-kampanja – li jelenka s-sitwazzjoni inġusta preżenti kif ukoll jagħmel seba’ talbiet għall-ġustizzja ekonomika – juri kif, fl-isfond ta’ ekonomija dejjem tikber, qegħdin naraw distakk dejjem jikber fil-ġid, sfruttament tal-ħaddiema u kundizzjonijiet ħżiena tax-xogħol, li qegħdin iħallu impatt negattiv fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ eluf ta’ ħaddiema.
Il-Gvern qiegħed ikompli jonqos lill-ħaddiema, bin-nuqqas ta’ infurzar u titjib fil-protezzjoni tagħhom, billi m’għolliex il-pagi biżżejjed u billi mhux qiegħed jindirizza r-realtajiet ġodda ta’ sfruttament bħal dawk li jeżistu fil-gig economy. Il-Gvern tilef ukoll l-opportunità li kellu biex itejjeb il-miżuri biex jinstab bilanċ bejn il-ħajja u x-xogħol permezz ta’ direttiva tal-UE, li kieku ttieħdet bis-serjetà, kienet ittejjeb il-ħajja ta’ ħafna ġenituri u persuni oħra li jieħdu ħsieb ħaddieħor.
Ħafna ħaddiema Maltin, inkluż żgħażagħ u gradwati, ma jarawx futur fil-gżejjer Maltin u jippreferu jaħdmu barra jekk ikollhom l-għażla. L-inflazzjoni u l-għoli tal-ħajja wasslu biex il-valur tal-pagi tal-ħaddiema naqas. Fejn jidħol il-poter tal-akkwist, Malta hija fost seba’ pajjiżi fl-UE li għandhom l-iktar paga minima baxxa, u fost tmien pajjiżi fl-UE li għandhom l-inqas paga medja.
L-ekonomija dejjem tikber ta’ Malta saret tiddependi sostanzjalment fuq iċ-cheap labour ta’ ħaddiema barranin, b’pagi li baqgħu baxxi u bi sfruttament li dejjem jiżdied. Barra minn dan, miżuri amministrattivi imposti mill-Gvern qegħdin iwasslu biex ħaddiema immigranti jispiċċaw jiddependu fuq min iħaddimhom u mhumiex f’pożizzjoni biex jiġġieldu l-isfruttament.
L-organizzazzjonijiet saħqu li l-ħaddiema mhumiex magni li jiġu użati u abbużati bl-addoċċ. Il-ħaddiema jistħoqqilhom id-dinjità, id-drittijiet u d-dħul ġust li jippermettilhom ħajja diċenti.
L-organizzazzjonijiet qegħdin isejħu għal mudell ekonomiku differenti li jpoġġi lill-ħaddiema, minflok il-profitti tal-privat, fiċ-ċentru billi:
1. Jiġu riveduti l-pagi fin-naħa t’isfel tal-iskala tal-qligħ biex jiżdiedu b’mod sostanzjali. Għal dan l-għan, Malta jeħtieġ li timmira għal paga minima li tippermetti għajxien diċenti. Żieda fil-paga minima twassal organikament għal żieda fil-pagi baxxi kollha li jkunu jridu jiġu aġġustati ’l fuq vis à vis il-paga minima miżjuda.
2. Jitjiebu l-kundizzjonijiet tal-ħaddiema kollha permezz ta’ miżuri mandatorji biex jintlaħaq bilanċ bejn il-ħajja personali u x-xogħol, bħal ġimgħa iqsar ta’ xogħol, u leave itwal tal-maternità, paternità, u leave għall-ġenituri u għal dawk li jieħdu ħsieb lil ħaddieħor.
3. Ikunu riveduti l-liġijiet antikwati tax-xogħol biex ikunu jistgħu verament jiġu indirizzati realtajiet ġodda ta’ sfruttament tal-ħaddiema.
4. Ikun hemm entità pubblika waħda responsabbli biex tinvestiga rapporti ta’ abbuż fuq il-ħaddiema, fil-forom differenti tiegħu, u biex tieħu azzjoni effettiva kontrihom.
5. Jitneħħew il-miżuri amministrattivi li qegħdin strutturalment ipoġġu lill-ħaddiema immigranti f’pożizzjoni dipendenti u vulnerabbli fil-konfront ta’ min iħaddimhom, u b’konsegwenza qiegħed jingħata lok għall-isfruttament tagħhom. Il-ħaddiema kollha għandu jkollhom aċċess, fil-prattika, għal rimedji effettivi kontra l-abbuż.
6. Jiġu introdotti regoli li jorbtu fuq il-prezzijiet tal-kiri u fuq il-prezzijiet ta’ ħtiġijiet bażiċi, biex jiġi evitat l-abbuż mill-għatx għall-profitti predatorji, u biex jiġi mħares il-poter tal-akkwist tal-ħaddiema.
7. Tkun promossa l-parteċipazzjoni tal-ħaddiema fit-teħid tad-deċiżjonijiet.
Il-kampanja ‘Ġustizzja mal-Ħaddiema’ se tkun qed toħroġ dawn il-kwistjonijiet fil-beraħ u se tkompli tiġġieled għad-drittijiet u d-dinjità tal-ħaddiema. Dawk il-gruppi li jemmnu fil-ġustizzja soċjali jistgħu jissieħbu f’din il-kampanja billi jikkomunikaw mal-Moviment Graffitti.
L-organizzazzjonijiet li qegħdin jappoġġaw il-kampanja huma:
Aditus Foundation
Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar
Betapsi
Blue Door Education
Dance Beyond Borders
Earth Systems Association
Jesuit Refugee Service – Malta (JRS)
Justice and Peace Commission
Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ)
Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU)
Moviment Graffitti
Solidarjetà – Workers’ and tenants’ union
Young Progressive Beings (YPB)
Żgħażagħ Ħaddiema Nsara (ŻĦN)
