Prime Minister: De La Rue case a direct effect of globalisation

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that the news that De La Rue would be laying off 300 workers is a direct effect of globalisation.

Addressing a seminar organized by UHM, Muscat said that globalization both creates jobs and makes companies move from one country to another at a detriment to its workers.

“The worse part of this story is uncertainty, and so I call on the company to keep all of its employees well informed about their future,” he concluded.

Regarding the introduction of the second pillar in the pension system, Muscat said that in this particular time, this initiative would make investors fearful. He explained that the government is still trying to address the issue of jobs taken up by foreigners.

Opposition Leader, Simon Busuttil said that UHM was the union that kept its autonomy throughout the years. He insisted that Malta needs a trendy economy for the people, and not the other way round.

He repeatedly mentioned the manufacturing and the construction industry.

Regarding pensions, he said that pensioners in danger of poverty have increased. Explained that the PN agrees on the proposal second pillar pension.

In his intervention, Arnold Cassola said that Alternattiva Demokratika has been in support of the second pillar pension system. “We are talking about the war against precarious work, but we still have a lot of people in this situation”, he insisted, “but second pillar is only achievable if you have a decent salary”.

He said that rule of law in Malta is collapsing as government fail to act on the incidents in Paceville, Montekristo and Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina.

UHM President, Josef Bugeja Called on the Prime Minister to, at least issue a study on the feasibility of the second pillar pension.