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AD brands PL minimum wage stand as 'gaffe'
Green party chairperson Michael Briguglio claims Labour betrayed workers by joining bandwagon of those who predict low wages enhanced competitiveness.
29 September 2012, 12:00am
Duncan Barry
Duncan Barry
1 min read
AD chairperson Michael Briguglio.
Alternattiva Demokratika's chairperson Michael Briguglio has slammed PL leader Joseph Muscat over his recent comments that a Labour government would leave the minimum wage as is until the economy stabilised, adding that his comments were a pre-electoral "gaffe".
Briguglio was addressing the press in Sliema's St Anne's Square this morning.
Muscat was recently quoted as saying the "populist move", that of increasing the minimum wage, "would burden employers with new costs and increase pressure on workers from their employers".
Briguglio insisted that a minimum wage increase was essential for both social development and a healthy economy, adding that the economics of cheap Labour is "regressive" and "outdated" and it is appalling that the PL had betrayed workers and joined the bandwagon of those who pessimistically predict that only low wages can only enhance competitiveness.
"Competitiveness is more likely to be influenced by a myriad of economic, political, social and ecological factors at national, regional and global levels," Briguglio said.
When asked by MaltaToday what AD thought of government's stand that a minimum wage increase was not a solution when Caritas called on government to increase the minimum wage back in 2010, Brigulglio said that AD would welcome a change in stance from both the PL and PN, insisting that AD was currently the only party in favour of a minimum wage increase.
Meanwhile, Angele Deguara, AD spokesperson for social policy and civil rights, said: "We ally ourselves with trade unions like Forum, progressive organisations like Caritas, Zminijietna - Voice of the Left, Moviment Graffitti and economists like Lino Spiteri and Karm Farrugia.
"A minimum wage increase would help decrease poverty since as things stand, the majority of workers couldn't cope with the high cost of living," she said.
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AD is the only right wing green party in the EU.I think that the European Greens should expel AD.
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Hallina Brigulio u mur ghamel pipi' ma xi kantunira. Ghanke int qieghed idawwar kliem Joseph kif jaqbillek?
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Michael Briguglio is being populist!
Luke Camilleri •
AD ARE A "GAFFE" just like the name they give to their party of 5! : )
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Briguglio: Int tista tghid li trid ghax taf li qatt mhu se jkollok it-tmexxija ta' pajjizna !
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Dan Bragjolu ghandu jkun waqa mis-sodda. L-anqas jaf li l-minimum wage ilha ffrizata 25 sena. Jista jghidilna jekk hux idahhal xi haga minghand il-gvern. Bil-maskla blu li ghandu mwahhla m'ghajnejh l-anqas ghadu nduna li hawn hafna li l-anqas il-paga minima ma qed jaqilghu. Ara kemm toghla aktar il-paga minima u l-prekarjat jekk inhallu l-immigranti illegali jidhlu kemm iridu Malta kif jissugerixxi dan Bragjolu halli jwaqqghu aktar il-pagi taz-zghir. Aktar ma tiftah halqek aktar nindunaw x'mohh fqir ghandek. AD Alternattiva Difettuza
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The AD party is bound go into an oblivious state in the near future. Its significance is very little in 2012. Making sweeping statements like these will only have a more detrimental effect on the AD and increase the possibility that persons will not vote for them!
AD need to come up with a better image and more dynamic action in the near future!
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Assolutament Diżastru
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l ewwel darba gibtu 5,000, it darba gibtu 2,500, din id darba,0000.
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The AD group it seems that can be the future force to save the Maltese island, like the enviorment, the wildlife,the increase of the minimum wage,and much more.AD JUST GET AGRESIVE, and show the people that you mean what you preach.The LP and the PN are taken us into a very rough sea.This time I VOTE FOR AD.
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All the other parties are complaining because Dr Muscat did not play up to the sterotype image they have of labour. Well this is New Labour - the party for workers and employers ... you can't have one without the other after all.
And this is the party of the lower class and the middle class. It has to be this way - labour wants the lower class to become middle class - so off course it has to be the party of the middle class.
What its not is the party of a small number of elite nationalist pigs getting fat on the hardships of their fellow citizens.
Where do you think the pay rise will go Sur Briguglio genuise, if not suck up in taxes by the government?
A reduction on cost of electricity and fuel - now that will turn into money directly in the pockets of the Maltese.
Your speech shows that you have nothing to offer. Stealing from Paul to pay Peter gets you nowhere.
A pay rise will be as effective as taking a panador to cure a cancer - and the cancer is the massive taxation that pays for the greed, corruption and folly of GonziPN.
Why does not the government take the 80 million for the new parliament and send a pay cheque to the poor workers. Why does it have to be an additional burden on a weakened business community.
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Dan brigulio jipprova jaqbad ma kull tarf biex jipporva jghamel hoss!! Jaqaw sirt taf li il- pl irnexxielu jiehu hafna mill- ftit voti li kellha l- AD? LOL
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ghalfejn ma tohrogx mal-PN sur brigulio ghax mid dehra qed ikollok tejd li jejdulek huma habib.
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halina briguglio, mur gibek membru parlamentary ma toqoc bik, ghax ma hriegt tparla sentejn ilu meta dak il purcinel fenech qal listes fuq il minimum wage.
