Left-wing activists urge Labour ‘to return to its fundamental values and aims’

A group of 26 left-leaning individuals including academics, former dockyard workers, pensioners and Labour activists called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat expressing concern that the Labour Party may have lost its way.

The group highlighted “the fall” in wages and pensions; the “unjust targeting of people on welfare”; appeasing the construction lobby and an apparent procrastination in tackling problems within the health sector.

In an open letter to Muscat as leader of the Labour Party, the signatories urged the party “to changes its course, amend its ways and return to its fundamental values and aims, the most important being social justice and the elimination of poverty and want”.

The list includes former Labour PM Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, former dockyards chairman Sammy Meilak, Fr Mark Montebello, Dun Ang Seychell, Dun Gwann Xerri and University academic Peter Mayo.

“We are writing this letter in light of the values and aims for which the Labour Party was founded. We regrettably note that the language, goals and intents of some major representatives of the party do not reflect, but are directly antithetical to, these fundamental aims and values,” the open letter to Muscat reads.

Going back to the roots of the party, the signatories argued that the PL came into existence to enable the poor, the down-trodden and the working people to emerge out of their misery, lead a dignified existence and have a say in the running of the country.

“The party worked tirelessly to eliminate poverty and want and to achieve social justice. While recognising the positive achievements of the current administration, we are afraid that on a number of fundamental issues, the party has embarked on a path that steers it away from its fundamental principles,” they said.

The group said the government appeared to be “unable and unwilling” to consider a decent increase in the minimum wage or measures whereby wealth is re-distributed in a just and rightful manner.

They argued that the economy seemed to be favouring the rich and penalising the interests of the working people, of pensioners and of those in the lowest echelons of society: “Meanwhile, wages and pensions are falling when compared to the cost of living and where poverty is on the increase.”

“A number of Ministers within your government are unjustly targeting people on welfare, hinting that people belonging to this category are the only ones that abuse the state’s coffers.

“This is unjust not merely because there are people on welfare who do not abuse and because there are people who belong to other categories – some professionals, some business people – who abuse much more, but also because it heightens the stigma about and marginalisation of these vulnerable individuals.”

The 26 signatories claimed that government was unrealistically overestimating the ability of formal education to solve social problems.

“While we believe that the state should provide excellent education to everyone, formal education cannot be the panacea to all social problems. Without measures to help those who are in the lowest strata of society, most poor will remain poor… if not become poorer.

“A society entirely made up of citizens with a high level of formal education but which can only provide decent jobs to 60% of its members, will be a society where 40% will suffer deprivation, despite their excellent instruction.”

They hit out at government for appeasing the construction lobby: “Government seems to be going out of its way to please the construction lobby, not merely by relaxing the rules that protect our common heritage which is the environment, but also by refraining from enacting measures aimed at curbing the exorbitant prices of houses and dwellings to realistic and decent levels. This is leading to a situation whereby people become owners of their home when they are not longer in their prime”.

The government was also accused of having no intention of tackling the problems that exist in the health sector. They said, that while in theory the health sector was free and available to all, in practice it “is riddled by abuse and ill-function that frequently lead to situation whereby if one cannot pay for private consultancies and medicines, one will be seriously affected in their wellbeing.”

The letter was signed by Joseph Bartolo, George Busuttil, Colin Calleja, Raymond Camilleri, Bernard Cauchi, Ruth Cauchi, Jacqueline Chircop, Louise Chircop, David Cuschieri, Antonio Dato, Catherine Dato, Joseph Gravina, Michael Grech, Peter Mayo, Sammy Meilak, Alfred Micallef, Charles Miceli, Karmenu Mifsud Boonici, Chris Mizzi, Mark Montebello, Erica Schembri, Angelo Seychell, Mary Grace Vella, Gwann Xerri, Raymond Zahra and Anna Zammit.