During a press conference on conditions of work and workers in Valletta, Prof. Arnold Cassola, AD chairperson and candidate for EP elections, said, “Despite the government taking initiatives to eradicate precarious work, inequalities and injustices still exist in various areas.”

He said, “contracts by government and government institutions such as agencies and schools, for companies providing the services of cleaners, security personnel and clerks at 4.16, 4.40 and 4.65 Euros an hour still exist; public transport drivers earning 5 Euros an hour whilst their colleagues chartered from the private bus sector, are paid 15 Euros an hour for the same job still exist; and the scandalous decision by MEPA to exempt certain venues from having facilities for people with disability will make it even more difficult with people with a disability to be offered a job.”

“Talk is cheap. What we really need is concrete action,” said Prof Cassola.

AD spokesperson on industry, energy and transport Ralph Cassar added, “there are various examples of workers employed by a contracting company who although they are posted for long periods in the same government department, school or agency and do the same work as workers employed directly by that institution have drastically different conditions of work and are paid considerably less. Examples include clerks in schools and colleges, clerks at Mater Dei, and cleaners. I know of cleaners who have their 40 hour week spread over six days, and get paid the miserly rate of 4.16 Euros an hour.”

“There were also reports in the press recently revealing that Enemalta workers are being cornered into accepting a two-year contract with the Chinese power company, being told that they will have to forfeit the conditions of work they have acquired over the years. Labour copied PN in promising workers one thing then doing the opposite,” Cassar said.

“How does the EU and the EP come into this? He asked. “The EP can influence where and how EU money is spent. The European Greens are constantly pushing for a shift to spending on social programmes, programmes in favour of quality jobs and a better quality of life. Together with the European Greens AD are asking that the PSE/PPE approved budget is revised. They approved a reduction in funds for research and innovation, education and training, social inclusion and youth policy.”

In contrast we are asking for a shift from subsidising the fossil fuel corporations, nuclear industry and big agri-corporations to spending on social inclusion, education and training, youth policy, and ecological modernisation. The emphasis of spending on the economic front should be SMEs,” Ralph Cassar concluded.

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