Yesterday, we celebrated International Workers Day or what is also known as Labour Day. It is a day that honours the achievements and contributions of workers across the globe. Labour Day is a yearly event close to the Labour Party’s heart and with good reason. In 1921, a hundred years ago, a group of people affiliated with the Imperial Government Workers Union founded the Malta Labour Party (Partit tal-Ħaddiema) with the sole aim of improving the lives of Maltese workers and the poor and fighting for their rights to live a decent and dignified life.
Over the decades, the Partit Laburista was instrumental in securing workers' rights and taking a stand against the exploitation they were subjected to under colonial rule. Improving their livelihoods and securing their rights to a dignified life was and still is one of the main principles for which the party was founded a hundred years ago.
A republic based on work
The culmination of years of demonstrations and protests, hard bargaining and persuasion skills reached its peak with the promulgation of the 1974 Republican Constitution – a constitution based on work – brought to fruition and against all odds by the Labour Party’s indomitable leader Dom Mintoff. The right of all citizens to work and the role of the state in promoting the conditions to make this effective are enshrined in the Constitution.
The 1974 Constitution spells out the principles that safeguard workers' fundamental rights. They include the maximum number of daily working hours, weekly rest days and annual holidays, the minimum working age, gender equality on the workplace, contributory social and health insurance, provision of professional and vocational training and the provision of means of subsistence for those unable to work. This is a far cry from the times when workers were jailed for going on strike to secure their employment!
Workers' rights
Our long and proud tradition as a party fighting for workers' rights and the betterment of the poorer segments of our society are at the very core of our raison d'être. We are proud to form part of the wider European Social Democratic history of the 20th and 21st century.
Quoting from a speech by Dr Alfred Sant on Labour Day some time back, “The country can only move ahead if workers' interests are put forward”. It recalls what the English philosopher, John Locke meant when stating that “all wealth is the product of labour”. This is exactly what the Labour government has and is still doing in 2021. The electoral manifestos of the past eight years all focus on improving workers' employment conditions, their rights and the creation of an environment where the private sector and workers grow together for the benefit of society at large. The Labour government is making sure that workers have jobs they deserve and businesses have the space and support to grow and thrive successfully.
Braving the pandemic
At a time when the rest of the world is facing unsurmountable obstacles and hardships because of the pandemic, workers in Malta and Gozo are experiencing first-hand the dedication with which Labour is safeguarding their livelihoods. Thanks to our long-term plans for the country and the brilliant methods used to strengthen and grow the economy, the yearly budgetary surpluses of the last eight years of Labour tenure have ensured that in time of need, such as now, workers and businesses are finding the unfailing support to survive and, against all odds, grow.
A good example is the investment of €415m in wage supplements for companies that due to the pandemic could not operate. One hundred thousand workers have benefitted from the Wage Supplement Scheme. Half of these work in the private sector. This scenario sets Malta apart from the rest of Europe. Malta’s Wage Supplement Scheme is in fact unique. Unlike other schemes across the EU, it fully and completely protects workers on low wages. In fact, all full-time workers are eligible to benefit from this scheme. Every worker receives €800 a month in wages. This means that workers, who earned €800 a month before the pandemic, are losing nothing. In other member states, financial support is only calculated on a minimal percentage of the usual pay.
The resilience of our workforce
Considering the challenging times we are living in, it is even more encouraging that Malta is one of only three countries in the EU where employment, during the pandemic, has increased. This is all thanks to the foresight of this government and the adaptability and resilience of our most prized asset – our human resources.
Work is what sustains us and secures our dignity. It helps us meet our material needs, build decent lives and escape poverty. Work gives us a sense of identity, belonging and purpose. It expands our choices and allows us to look forward to the future. It also holds a collective significance because it provides a network of connections and interactions that build social cohesion. Individual commitment to a group effort is what makes good teamwork. The same goes for a company, a society and a whole nation.
Our nation's prosperity
The Labour government is doing its utmost to organise work and labour markets because it is aware of the collective role of workers and employers. Together they are indispensable to the nation's prosperity. They determine the high degree of equality and excellence our society will continue to achieve.
Our future is bright because we are in safe hands. Because this government’s long-term vision for prosperity believes in the industrious and hard-working nature of the Maltese and Gozitan workers and the capabilities of our brilliant entrepreneurs. Pulling one rope, together we will overcome all obstacles caused by the pandemic and continue to prosper and grow in the years to come. On Labour Day this year, looking forward together is our best option!
Justyne Caruana is Minister of Education