I'm unconvinced that the struggle against precarious work is being won, and not only in Malta. In a globalised economy, with frontiers open for widespread immigration, full scope is being discovered for work to be treated as just another commodity, subject only to the laws of supply and demand.

In many sectors, this can only mean that the cheapest prevails.

Life expectations about work have become bounded by the slogan that times have changed and so have technologies. We are told that the past was when you could hold a job for a lifetime. Workers today must get used to the idea that in their lifetime, they will have to change jobs five times or more. Moreover, they should consider this to be a normal state of affairs, plus a challenge that contributes to make life fuller and more interesting.

In reality, the situation creates a sense of insecurity as well as anxiety among workers young and old. They will be progressively more inclined to accept precarious jobs or otherwise...

***

More strange stories

Strange stories about what happened in the New Year in German cities have continued to emerge.As is now wellknown, in Cologne and other cities many women were molested and harassed by thousands of men gathered at railway stations. What was most surprising was how the news came out – not only did the stories appear with a delay, but they were and still are confused.

To make matters worse, according to other stories, this was not the first occasion in which such trouble emerged.

Speculation spread that because of the huge political problems that had arisen following chancellor Merkel’s decision to open the doors wide for refugees from Syria, “somebody” considered it crucial that the events in Cologne were to be kept hidden in order to avoid a social explosion.

If that’s what truly happened, the calculation made could not have been wider off the mark.

***

Gozo tunnel

One fully understands the wish of Gozitans to end once and for all the isolation of their island home. The construction of a tunnel would surely achieve this.

There is still a great need for an in-depth study of such a tunnel, and it should not cover only its financial and technical aspects. In the final analysis, a tunnel would physically unite Malta and Gozo, perhaps more than a bridge could. This will impact on the mobility of citizens, commerce, land prices, access to educational facilities, work prospects.

For instance it could happen that with a tunnel, new work and business opportunities might decline rather than grow. I am not arguing that one or the other will happen, only that both options are possible. Which means that a detailed study of the possible range of social consequences will be essential, something that as of now, to my knowledge, has not yet been attempted.