Moviment Graffiti lambast precarious employment, ‘ridiculously low’ minimum wage

As Malta and the rest of the world celebrates May Day, the national holiday celebrating basic rights of workers, left-wing think tank Zminijietna, and NGO Moviment Graffiti today called for an increase in Malta’s minimum wage and for better working conditions.

In a statement, left-wing NGO Moviment Graffiti said working conditions in Malta remain poor, while low wages, discrimination and precarious employment conditions also remain widespread.

“The minimum wage is set at a ridiculously low rate. Holidays for feasts falling on weekends, which had been taken away from the workers by the Nationalist administration, have not been given back by the Labour administration notwithstanding its promises.”

“In the past years, both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party have embarked on the road to privatisation in every sector, the latest being carried out in the energy and health sectors … All this shows the urgency to fight at a local level for more workers’ rights and for a more democratic economic system where wealth and decision-making powers are not concentrated in the hands of the few,” Moviment Graffiti said.

Echoing Moviment Graffiti, left-wing think tank Zminijietna called on the government to increase the national minimum wage, arguing that if increased, this would affect positively workers who risk falling beneath the poverty line.

It also called on legislators to introduce laws to combat precarious employment arguing that this is a widespread problem affecting several workers.  

“The legislation should clearly define those jobs that are precarious in nature, where the worker faces insecurity, inferior conditions of work and low wages. Jobs on temporary contract, temporary agency workers and part-time work as sole employment should all be classified as precarious employment”, stated Żminijietna.

“The right wing argument in favour of flexibility in the labour market and job mobilization should not come at the expense of the workers’ rights and conditions. Workers have every right for decent and regular employment”.