From Mr J. Azzopardi

Although the government’s intentions are honourable, the decision to forfeit holidays that fall on the weekend is strategically flawed and deficient. Firstly, it is essentially inequitable because people who work a six-day week or on shift basis will still benefit from such holidays. Therefore, the decision is biased against one sector of the work force, that is, those who work a five-day week. Secondly, it is very doubtful whether it will reach the stated objective of increasing productivity. Militant, or politically motivated, rebellious workers could simply report sick on the day, and nothing would have been achieved. Given the imposition of the decision by one political party who happens to be in government, and the 50/50 political divide that has been the bane of this country for so many years, the chances of this happening is quite high, and there is little that can be done to control it. But most of all, it would be an exercise in futility that would put people in a mutinous mood, and the objective would still not have been achieved.

An equitable solution is one that impacts on the whole population, no matter what their political colour or creed. Such a solution would be to remove the cause of the problem, not treat the effect. A reduction in the number of public holidays, thereby removing the incidence of these falling on a weekend and concurrently the problem of whether to add them to the annual leave entitlement or not, is the only way. Surely, there can be no other country in the world in the ridiculous situation where there are no less than five national holidays because each political party, as well as the Church, seek to outperform each other, at great national cost.

The government and the Opposition should be mature enough to agree on just one national holiday that would embody, epitomise, and symbolise, all that has been achieved by the Maltese as a nation, without highlighting any specific event and without political inclination.

Events such as the Sette Giugno incidents, Independence Day, the departure of the British Forces from Malta, the establishment of the Republic, the lifting of the two great sieges, all are of national and momentous significance, but they have been rendered political by the way they are celebrated.

A Malta Day should be established. Such a day would be neutral, should not be connected with any of these events in particular, and should be celebrated on a neutral date. Moreover, it would replace all five holidays, in the process reducing public holidays by four.

Furthermore, religious feasts should no longer be public holidays; that happens in countries under the control of the clergy such as some Middle Eastern countries. Malta is a secular country and should be run like one. Public holidays like 10 February, 19 March, 8 September and 8 December should be removed as public holidays, as they are discriminatory and only of significance to believers.

Such a restructuring would leave the following major significant holidays, which are neutral both politically and religiously:

Malta Day (date to be decided by popular decision not by the government, or the Opposition, or the Church)

Good Friday (not merely a religious event but one of sublime human and social meaning internationally)

May Day (an internationally recognised holiday)

Mnarja (a traditional holiday)

Christmas Day (an internationally recognised holiday)

New Year’s Day (an internationally recognised holiday)

Such restructuring translates into a saving of eight public holidays. It would not only reduce the number of non-productive days immediately, but it would also reduce the probability of such public holidays falling on a weekend. When one of these public holidays does fall on a weekend, it would then be fair to add it to the annual leave entitlement. In this way no one would be disadvantaged.

Most people realise that we have had it too good for too long and something needs to be done to install a much stronger work ethic in this country if we are to survive competition and to prosper. Those who have not come to this conclusion ought to, sooner rather than later. In all fairness, the leave entitlement we enjoy is far more than what workers in the most advanced and richer countries enjoy. Twenty days annual leave, irrespective of grade, position, seniority, or length of service, is the norm in most of those countries.

Unfortunately, this country of ours is stifled by politically motivated decisions. Let us do ourselves a favour and involve politically independent strategists who are able to find imaginative solutions without looking through politically coloured glasses.

J. Azzopardi

BIDNIJA