Żminijietna – Voice of the Left is highly concerned about public and civil service employees, and therefore urges the government to state exactly from where the budget cuts of 0.59% (€40 million) will be made, to meet the criteria of the European Commission.

It seems that the government’s proposal to meet the European Commissioner’s criteria is a direct attack on the public service collective agreement, and on those workers engaged on a different work contract. The same criteria, are also being applied by the European Commission to remove the labour price index across Europe, better known as COLA.

Trade unions should be alert on what is being proposed, in order to be prepared to safeguard workers’ conditions and the well-being of their families.

It also appears, that the European Union, in order to address competitiveness of the European single market and the deficit problem in various European countries has only one solution, the reduction or freezing of wages and the dismantling of working conditions. ‘Precariousness’ is also a new phenomenon that emerged in the European Union under the guise of greater flexibility of the European labour market.

Żminijietna insists that it makes more sense for Malta to work positively for the introduction in the European Union of the financial transaction tax, which is a just and equitable measure. If not, the workers will be the ones who will bear all the brunt of the economic system failure. Żminijietna therefore urges the government to review its proposals to the European Commission and at the same time we insist that Malta should support the European proposal on a financial transaction tax.

David Pisani

PRO

Żminijietna – Voice of the Left