e rent, pay the electricity and water bills, and above all eat.
One of the mechanisms for this equitable and equal distribution is appreciation for decent work and pay, through which capital is turned into wealth. Today’s Government has done everything to attract amongst us rich people we do not know, powerful people from rich countries ... but to continue becoming richer in our country, them, and their inner circle!
Our mission is different. We need to ensure that citizens continue to enjoy a dignified standard of living. This includes the ability of low-income families, young couples building their own families, and pensioners who enjoy the last phase of their lives with dignity. We do not want to see people depend on foodbanks, on benefits that are still not enough to see them last until the end of the month, where even if you work full time you cannot live in comfort or dignity worthy of you and your family.
Living income
The results of a recent survey published by the National Statistics Office on “Income and Living Conditions” show most clearly that the income gap between high-income and low-income earners is always on the increase. It is a situation that is leading to more inequalities in living and opportunities in life, this means that human beings that are in the lowest rank in our country, are not only finding themselves in more difficulties to meet everyday needs, but this branch of human beings continues to grow and spread and incorporate into it human beings and families who previously experienced neither poverty nor social exclusion.
This survey clearly shows that one in five people in Malta is in this situation. It is families, the elderly, and children, who are falling into this pothole of shortcomings and hardships in their lives. There is also the “working poor” whose number is increasing. With “the Living Income concept” we ensure sufficient income to live a decent life according to the standards of the social context in which we live. It is good to study this to have a clear vision of what exactly this involves and what affects the country and on the population. We must consult with all parties concerned to pave the way for the introduction of “living income” in our country.
It is very important to understand what constitutes a decent income. The needs of individuals and families vary, so we must think of more than one solution to reach everyone. It is important that independent experts are appointed for this purpose, to ensure transparency and impartiality in all that is done. Living income is not the only solution to overcoming poverty and social exclusion in our country.
Other than that, this is not the case. Poverty itself is complex and requires various and specific interventions and goes beyond income alone. What comes to mind, for example, lack of education, illness, drugs, marital problems, and domestic violence, to name a few.
Poverty itself is complex and requires various and specific interventions and goes beyond income alone. What comes to mind, for example, lack of education, illness, drugs, marital problems, and domestic violence, to name a few.
Living Wage
The concept of “Living Wage” is very similar to the concept of “Living Income”, but it only considers wages and not pensions. Thus by “Living Wage”, one generally means sufficient wage for a human to live a decent and dignified life that suits every human being, according to the standards of the social context in which one lives. Living Income and Living Wage are the result of social justice and a fair economy.
Of course, anyone who lives on the minimum wage cannot live with dignity. With the minimum wage law, employers cannot pay their workers less than € 4.50 an hour. But according to the latest NSO statistics, there are also people who earn less than that, who are undoubtedly at risk of poverty.