On Worker’s Day, AD calls for elimination of social injustice

Alternattiva Demokratika acting chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said it was necessary to address social injustice and inequalities more seriously and concretely.

Cacopardo also reiterated AD's call to revise the minimum wage as was indicated in the study carried out by CARITAS in March 2012.

"The minimum wage as currently established does not guarantee a decent quality of life especially to low income workers," Cacopardo said. "A more decent income can help increase productivity and, above all, enhance the spending power of low-income earners."

AD said COLA should be calculated every six months instead of on a yearly basis in order to ensure that workers are duly compensated for inflation within more realist time frames.  

"AD hopes that the idea of an 'escape clause' in the COLA mechanism which was recently given a mention, is discarded, as if applied this will give rise to a wage freeze," Cacopardo said.

AD spokesperson for Social Policy Angele Deguara said there are many workers who despite having a job, do not have decent working conditions.  

"While political rhetoric about the need to combat precariousness and worker exploitation is common, not enough effort is actually done to curb abuses suffered by vulnerable workers such as those who work without a permit or else are forced to register as self-employed so that they would be denied the benefits which they are entitled to," Degaura said.

She added that there are workers whose health and safety at work is still not adequately protected.  

"Many workers lack job security because they are constrained to accept contract work for short periods of time. The government tendering system should address this problem in the long term by inserting social criteria with the aim of rewarding rather than penalising companies which offer decent working conditions and wages to their employees".

Deguara argued that certain categories of workers such as manual workers, immigrants and foreign workers, persons with disability, ex-convicts, women, older and younger workers were more vulnerable than others.   

"Importance should also be given to the need of both women and men to be able to find a suitable work-life balance especially in cases of families with small children as well as to the need for the creation of more green jobs."