PL pledges ‘significant’ wage increase for educators

Prime Minister Robert Abela pledged “significant” wage increases for educators, and paid teaching practice for all Learning Support Educators and kindergarten assistants.

Abela was addressing a well-attended PL meeting in Santa Lucija on Wednesday evening.

Another measure announced was that children coming from low income earning families, earning €14,300 and under, would receive free internet and a free uniform each year.

“Every investment in the people, more so in children, is the best investment a government could make,” Abela said.

He also announced that a laptop would be provided to all children in year seven, the first year of secondary school.

 “In past years books were basic, and now laptops and tablets are a basic necessity. That is why we are extending the laptop scheme from the primary to secondary years. To study you need the tools,” Abela said.

"This is a not a populist government that promises everything to everyone, like others might be doing. Everything we are promising is accounted for," Abela said when touching upon other measures announced by PL previously, like tax rebates for parents whose children attend extra curricular activities.

In response to a touching story of a couple who can’t undergo the IVF process under the current legislation, Abela promised that within 100 days of a new labour government, changes to the IVF legislation would be approved in parliament.

The amendments include the introduction of new technologies, a government funded second IVF process and IVF for those parents who would have already delivered a natural birth.

“How can you remain silent and idle in front of similar realities? People who speak to me always tell me that the clock is always ticking, so we promise that within 100 days those amendments will be legislated.”

During the night, Abela saluted the memory of Rita Ellul, the latest femicide victim in Malta.

“The case opened a window to the reality of the suffering some women endure in silence inside their homes, where cases of domestic violence go unreported due to fear. This phenomenon is a reality and we might not have done enough to combat this.”

The PM also said he met with the Ukrainian community earlier in the day and emphasised on a message of peace all around the world.

“The Opposition leader made a grave mistake when painting Russians as criminals. The worst thing we could do is to divide the Ukrainian and the Russian community. I am confident there are Russians that do not approve of what is happening,” Abela said.