Pensions, gym schemes and overtime tax cuts: Parties pitch to workers on May Day

Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech marked Workers’ Day with different pitches on labour and standard of living as they addressed party supporters at separate events.

Abela framed his address as a celebration of economic progress. He celebrated the fact that Maltese people are finding work in more ‘white collar’ jobs, but said that people still need to carry out essential work. “Some sectors still need foreign labour, and they do essential services. The country can’t afford to have these sectors close down, such as healthcare, construction,” he said, defending the policy as vital to Malta’s continued prosperity.

He cited €500 million worth of planned investments from firms like ST Microelectronics, Lufthansa Technik, and Actavis, which he said will create “quality careers” in digital technology, clean energy, and medical devices. “Every investment in Malta must mean an improvement in people’s lives,” Abela said, positioning Labour as the movement for workers’ future.

Social measures were a key feature of his speech. Abela said free six-month gym access for youths born between 2005 and 2007 starts Sunday, and pledged to address pension disparities affecting those born before 1962. He also noted that nearly €50 million would be distributed this year in additional cost-of-living allowances.

Meanwhile, Grech focused on the gap between economic indicators and workers’ lived experiences. “The problem for most people is that they’re not catching up to the standard of living,” he said. “The government should not castigate those who have to work more to catch up with the cost of living.”

The PN leader proposed removing tax on the first €10,000 earned through overtime or part-time work, saying it would offer immediate relief to hard-working families. He also renewed criticism of pay disparities for public sector workers employed through private contractors—an issue he said Labour promised to fix years ago.

Grech also pressed for stronger environmental protections, lamenting that a PN proposal to enshrine environmental rights in the Constitution had been ignored. “We need to ensure that we better working conditions and improve quality of life in general,” he said, urging a broader view of work-life balance.