Youth issues and MEPs

In view of the European Parliament elections, young people have been featuring in promotional material, speeches and promises. This is good as it means that the candidates are realising the great input young people can give towards building a better society.

Also, a good number of candidates can comfortably qualify as young people themselves, while the young at heart are clearly also aware of the potential of young people. These are all positive factors showing not only that young people are managing to better project their potential on society but also that it is being received and acknowledged.

However, Żgħażagħ Ħaddiema Nsara (ŻĦN) feels that more needs to be done. On the one side we need to sustain what is being done by young people for them and among them. Unfortunately, at a recent seminar, a University lecturer, speaking of young people and the media, mentioned how young people are most often only mentioned in relation to criminal and negative reporting. The exception of sport was mentioned, however too many youth initiatives pass unobserved by the media.

ŻĦN would like candidates to commit themselves to encourage awareness and coverage of youth initiatives while promoting and supporting them even more. Too often it seems like we would rather care than prevent. We believe both are needed but prevention should be given more priority even though results aren't easily reported. Accountability in this regard could arrive in other ways. On the other hand, thousands of young people still seem to be invisible to Malta and the European Community. Why do we still have so many young people who, while having the legal right to be in a workers' union, in practice cannot be part of one? This is the reality for too many young people working in unskilled employment, with whom so many of us share the buildings we work in. It is common knowledge but results haven't been forthcoming yet!

ŻĦN would like to see action from our elected candidates encouraging the EU to press governments to take concrete action in this regard. Clauses should be inserted in calls for tenders for certain services requiring unskilled/semi-skilled workers such as cleaning and security (albeit not only these), so that wages to be paid to the workers will be declared and adhered to, while ensuring that each worker has a clearly explained contract in his possession. Too much of this is still lacking!

ŻĦN believes that positive change in these issues can only be achieved through the active involvement of young people themselves. Consequently, the movement is committed to serve, educate and represent the young workers on a national level in Malta but also within European structures where our international secretariat is present, especially through the European Youth Forum.