Before I enter into this week’s subject I wish to congratulate all Hamrun Spartans players and club officials for their efforts. Their efforts paid dividends last Saturday as Hamrun Spartans FC returned to the Premier Division. Well done! This is certainly an added bonus for the Hamrun St. Joseph Band Club supporters to celebrate in style the feast of St. Joseph at the end of this week.
Coming Sunday, in 80 countries around the world including Malta, various organisations will celebrate Workers’ Day with different events. Workers’ Day commemorates the 4 May 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. The police were trying to disperse a public assembly during a general strike, pushing for an eight-hour workday, when an unidentified person threw a bomb at the police. The police responded by firing on the workers, killing four demonstrators.
In 1955, Pope Pius XII declared the first of May as the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the patron saint of workers and craftsmen.
Since the deadly events of 1886, meaningful social dialogue between the social partners has substantially reduced industrial strife. The social partners have, over the years, recognised that economic and social achievements can be attained and sustained without the need to resort to industrial upheaval. Diverging views at the place of work can be addressed satisfactorily to both parties during conciliation and mediation meetings. While healthy industrial relations are key to economic success constructive social dialogue remains of paramount importance. Over the years a marked improvement in the working relationship between trade unions and employers has been registered. Government - by far the largest employer - tries hard to play the exemplary employer although, at times, with little or no success at all. Precarious employment is a case in point. It is still rampant.
It is well recognised that industrial strikes leave behind too much bad blood at the place of work. In this regard, unions make every effort to limit strike action.
However, no one should be misled. Greedy chameleon capitalists, able to change their colour, are still around looking down their noses at workers. Thankfully, this does not apply to most of the hard-working entrepreneurs but some capitalists, especially those with political wind in their sails, still view their workers as little more than a means to an end, a nuisance to be borne in the pursuit of economic success and wealth. Although thankfully not in majority, unscrupulous employers would not hesitate to threaten workers with their livelihoods, provoking unions to resort to industrial action.
Next Sunday, being Workers’ Day, PL supporters are expected to gather in Valletta in what may be considered as a show of force, following the two PN manifestations against corruption in the past weeks. Next Sunday, the PL will use Workers’ Day to instil a new lease of life among its grass roots. Government is well aware of the very poor showing, particularly in good governance, with the Panama scandal still unaddressed. The Panama scandal is hitting a sensitive nerve in society.
Over the many weeks that this has been going on, more politicians continue to spice the national agenda with even more inconsistencies. I am hopeful, that people are carefully doing their political assessments. It would be very unwise for political parties to underestimate people’s concerns.
For reasons which as yet have not been divulged, akin to a national secret, the Prime Minister continues to ignore senior ministers’ dissenting voices on the Panama scandal. The people remain unheard and the ministers go unheeded. Hardly the gvern li jisma’ we were promised.
After the thirteen hours of debate in the House and the strong concluding speech delivered by the Leader of the Opposition Dr Simon Busuttil, government, as was expected, came out victorious.
The two national protests organised by the PN in a rather short span of time against corruption did not, in any way, red face government.
Nothing changed.
In this light, it is now almost certain that the Prime Minister will not dismiss Minister Konrad Mizzi and his chief of staff Keith Schembri, both embroiled in the Panama scandal. The Prime Minister may reveal this next Sunday, on Workers’ Day, to the cheering crowds in Valletta. If this should be the case, Malta’s credibility would slide down even further in the eyes of local and foreign economic players.
As would our economic and social future.
It has become customary for journalists to interview people spontaneously on a wide range of issues. People are politely quizzed with pertinent questions. Most of the short interviews are carried out in Valletta. Most oblige, stop and give their comments. Perhaps it would be a good idea if, on Workers Day, politicians refrain from taking the microphone and let workers and their dependants voice their concerns.
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