Opposition boycotts employment policy launch following lack of consultation

The Opposition has boycotted Tuesday’s event during which Finance Minister Clyde Caruana unveiled the national employment policy, citing lack of consultation.

Opposition employment spokesperson Jason Azzopardi said despite promising to consult with all stakeholders, including the Opposition, Caruana had failed to live up to his commitment.

“The Opposition cannot but express its big disappointment with… the Finance Minister, who shunned the national interest and did not keep his word and failed to consult with the Opposition in the drafting of the national employment strategy,” Azzopardi said.

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He said the Opposition had accepted Caruana’s invitation back on 27 January, when the consultation process kicked off. Azzopardi was present back then when the Finance Minister had promised a wide-ranging consultation process.

“Since then, the Finance Minister… completely ignored the Opposition,” Azzopardi said, accusing government of arrogance.

Azzopardi insisted Caruana was the mastermind behind the importation “without plan” of foreign workers since 2014.

“Minister Caruana’s absolute priority was to build an economy on cheap labour, precarious work conditions, a soulless economy where workers are considered to be objects instead of people with dignity,” he said.

Azzopardi accused Caruana of failing to meet the Oppositon because he was uncomfortable to hear the truth about the employment market and his own policies that broke and impoverished individuals. 

“This is why the Opposition did not attend the unveiling of what was supposed to be a national process,” Azzopardi said.