Figures I saw recently about foreign wokers in Malta were surprising. I knew they had increased, but hardly to this extent.
In the year 2004, foreign workers accounted for 2.6 per cent of the total workforce in the local economy. By 2010, this figure had reached 6.1 per cent. In 2016, it stood at 16.6 per cent.
The highest percentage of foreign workers is found in the managerial category: 23.3 per cent of the total in that category for the year 2016. Next to it come clerks and support workers (17.7 per cent) and technicians and associated professionals (17.4 per cent). However, in no employment category is the share of foreign workers less than 10 per cent, excepting agriculture and fisheries (5.2 per cent).
Generally speaking , one third of foreign workers come from outside the EU (mainly in lower value jobs) and the rest from the Union, mostly in higher value and tourism related jobs.
The picture demonstrates how dependent the Maltese economy has become on foreign workers. We cannot afford to ignore any more this state of affairs.
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Reputation
The serious events and the national trauma of the past week require two responses: a strong and incessant effort for the truth to be discovered and for justice to be carried out; as well as a strong effort to safeguard Malta’s reputation – the latter has been greatly damaged.
I am convinced that the first exercise will be followed through, no holds barred.
The second objective too will be very difficult to achieve. When negative claims have rolled around, it is difficult to roll them back. Even less so can this be done successfully when within the national profile, some sectors seem to have a vested interest in exaggerating and speculating in order to trigger negative rebounds. What they would like to achieve is difficult to say. With what they do and say, the same people are ending up also undermining their own reputation.
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Roman holiday
I watched Billy Wilder movies years ago, when he was considered a luminary of American cinema; perhaps he still is. But I had forgotten how cheerful and light his touch could be in guiding forward the story he has chosen to present. Even when you realize how the plot out of which he is working sometimes does get rather artificial, you’re still hooked.
At least, that’s what happened to me with “Roman Holiday” which dates from 1953. Audrey Hepburn plays the part of a princess on a state visit to the Eternal City. She goes awol to discover what lies beyond the boring formal occasions she’s meant to preside. Nobody knows where she is. Enter, to look after her, Gregory Peck as a journalist stationed in Rome. Then, he realizes who she is. While accompanying her on a touristic romp around Rome, he arranges to have their adventures photographed. The idea is that he could later sell the photos for a good profit.
The film is an extremely good production. I can’t think of anything better to make time fly on a night flight that’s taken off late.