More democracy, less precarious labour in 2013 – union

The president of the General Workers Union has reflected on the forthcoming general elections in 2013 in a bid to call for greater checks and balances, and accountability within the institutions of the country.

Victor Carachi said Malta's institutions facing their own crises, citing the criminal charges brought against judge Ray Pace, the disappearance of court files in criminal cases against drug importers, and other shortcomings in the justice system.

"We have had several reports from the Auditor General in which the operations of the government and other public entities are not taken seriously enough. It would seem nobody is accountable for the money the people pays to the state or other administrative errors," Carachi said.

The GWU president also accused public broadcaster PBS of having fallen into controversy over "serious accusations that the station is not being impartial and serving as a platform for government."

Carachi said such episodes had undermined democracy in Malta. "It's not enough to have an election every five years... we need a government that can raise standards so that we have these checks and balanced, and so that our democracy works and shows that it is working well."

Carachi also said a challenge in 2013 will be to come down hard on precarious labour and poverty, with direct action from the government of the day. "I am convinced many workers, pensioners and their families are yearning for a better quality of life, more value for money in services they are rendered, social justice and accountability for the taxes they pay."