Budget 2011 | 'Putting people before multi-million euro projects' - Unions

In the run-up to the unveiling of the Budget 2011 on October 25, the unions said that while large projects, such as the City Gate project and others, are important, “in times of crisis and austerity, when the quality of living of many families dropped significantly, priorities like development and projects should not come before the quality of life of families. We must put the people first.”

The unions also said that while is its “good to concentrate on measures that improve the GDP, reduce the nation’s deficit, and boost productivity to ensure growth and prosperity –the budget should also tackle both social and real poverty.”

The unions pointed out that “despite the unemployment rate being presently 6.5% - the fourth highest after countries like Austria, Holland, and Luxembourg, the government should continue incentivising more and more inactive women to enter the workforce.”

“Parliament needs to start discussing the concept of the Living Wage as soon as possible along with increasing the minimum wage across the board – including part-time workers and workers employed on a pro-rata contract basis,” the unions added. It also called for a revision of mechanism of the Cost of Living Increase.

The unions also speculated that “this budget should start giving clear indications whether the country is truly on the road to recovery after the financial crisis and subsequent recession, because if there has been some sort of recovery underway, it has not made itself felt as yet.” It pointed out how “the government is telling one story, while the workers tell another.”

“Maternity leave should be provided between 14 and 20 months, applicable to all workers across the board. Paid paternity leave should also be not less than two weeks,” the unions recommended.

“In the light of the utility bills, the price hike in gas cylinders, and the price increase on bread the unions said that the situation necessitates compensation to every Maltese family to offset these costs.”

Recommending that maximum rate of taxation shouldn’t be higher than 25%, the unions spoke in favour of heftier increase in taxation on luxury cars, yachts, or third residential homes – for a start, along with a scheme of rebates to cover essential materials like flour should prices skyrocket on the global market.

The unions recommended that government should spare no effort in controlling evasion of taxation and VAT, while also taking more action to control expensive pricing on medicine.

While the unions acknowledged that “it is good that sustainable pensions for the future are being discussed, but at the same time, government should ensure that present pensions are improved and address anomalies that exist in the current system.”

They affirmed how “new measures are sorely needed to address or at least reduce the number of early school leaving children. The number of children who pursue post-secondary studies also need to be increased, as well as measures taken (including changes in legislation) to eliminate absenteeism in local schools once and for all.”

“The rate of decrease in overtime should be 15% for everyone – the anomaly that allows the rate to be 35% for some and 15% for others needs to be eliminated,” the unions said, adding also that “family friendly measures for employees in the civil service, as laid out in PSMC, should apply also to private sector employees, and all other institutions.”

Regarding public health, the unions lamented how medicines and supplies are often out of stock, calling for “the introduction of better and more flexible systems that cover these deficiencies and ensure that they stop.” The unions also called for expansion of the ‘Pharmacy of Your Choice’ system.

The unions also called attention to the waiting lists that plague the public health care system, recommending that “the issue could be effectively addressed through incentives for health workers.” The unions also called for the introduction of “a free Primary Health Care Service.”

“Government should introduce more incentives to encourage more families to invest in alternative energy systems such as solar panels,” the unions said. “Government also needs to ensure that entrepreneurs do not saddle consumers with needless expenses, such as instances when pharmacies charge clients €1 for using the clinic, or waiting in the pharmacy’s waiting room.”

The unions also hit out at the TV license system, describing it as “unjust” as well as “a double tariff, as today many are already paying for Melita cable or GO for the service.” The unions also said that the “selfsame idea of charging to have a right to a television goes against the principle of freedom of information and liberty of expression – a democratic right to enjoy free access to information.”

The unions is also recommending proposals regarding health and safety, and budget measures how Occupational Health and Safety Authority legislation, enforcement, and implementation can be improved.