‘Stop sacrificing lives on the altar of greed’ say activists Graffitti

Moviment Graffitti condemns umpteenth construction death

Photo credit: Moviment Graffitti
Photo credit: Moviment Graffitti

The death of a construction worker in a collapse in Cospicua is another senseless death caused by lawlessness in the building sector, Moviment Graffitti said after the death on a Bormla construction site.

The activist group condemned what it said was the authorities’ complacency in introducing tighter regulations on the sector, going on to say that this very avoidable death is the result of sacrificing decency at the altar of private profits.

“This tragic accident comes in the wake of the death of Miriam Pace just a few months ago, the home collapses of summer 2019, and dozens of accidents, some fatal, in construction sites throughout the years. Faced with all this, both government and the MDA have repeatedly stated they want to see better regulation of the sector, however the status quo is clear for everyone to see,” Graffitti said.

The NGO also said that government incentives for the construction industry to buy new machinery added insult to injury. “Not only has the concept of tighter regulations gone out of the window, but government is now using public funds in a shocking display of servilism to a private lobby. Machinery should be upgraded across the board as a rule, and this should be financed by the developers themselves not by the taxpayer.”

“This is another senseless death of a worker who woke up this morning with nothing else to do but earn his keep, probably a miserable salary that allows him to just pull through. We wonder if we’ll ever know his name, whether he leaves any family behind, and whether justice will be served for this death,” the group said in its statement.

“While we have grown accustomed to the MDA and the construction lobby shedding crocodile tears after accidents like these, we’re not holding our breath about them even paying lip service to a worker. Those who are exploited by construction magnates score very low on the lobby’s scale of importance.”

Moviment Graffitti called on the Prime Minister to take the necessary steps to rein in this sector and introduce much-needed legislation to protect the rights of workers and residents alike. “A lot has been promised in the aftermath of Miriam Pace’s death, but no action, and far less justice to her family and other residents, has been forthcoming.”