AD backs full COLA payment
Workers should receive the full cost-of-living increase because failure to grant it would be a blow to stability and industrial peace which were essential for the country's competitiveness, Alternattiva Demokratika said.
The Green Party also called on the government to enact policies and effective mechanisms to keep inflation in check.
The government is planning to grant all employees a weekly €6.06 increase from 2009 in cost-of-living compensation (COLA). It is due to present its budget for 2010 on November 9.
The Chamber of Commerce has called for the postponement of Budget Day as it wants more time for the social partners to discuss the COLA issue, dismissing as "unsustainable" the package of measures proposed on the ground that a €6.06 wage put hundreds of jobs at risk.
While employers want the government to subsidise the wage increase, unions are insisting that cutting down or not awarding it is unacceptable as it makes up for increases in expenses that workers and their families had already forked out.
AD spokesman for Social and Economic Development Michael Briguglio said his party believed the full COLA should be granted to workers.
As regards the suggestion that the government should subsidise part of the increase, he cautioned that this could undermine the sustainability of public finances.
"This is far from an ideal solution as it would further deplete public funds which are desperately needed to improve public services, welfare, the country's infrastructure and investment in education and the environment," Mr Briguglio said.
The government should also consider an improved and more realistic mechanism for the calculation of COLA, Mr Briguglio said as he called for the implementation of mechanisms that would keep inflation in check.
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Galea. L
Oct 26th 2009, 14:47
N.Calleja
With your comments you seem to be an employer not an employee Calleja.
Why should we workers not get the full COLA which simply is supposed to make good for the past years' rise in the cost of living which everyone knows was much more than the miserable proposed 6.06 euros?
N.Calleja
Oct 26th 2009, 12:31
These comments by the PL and AD makes me laugh. They pick up the good pieces suggested and discard the bad proposals! That's easy isn't it? They simply show that they have not reached amturity age to govern!
Jonathan Camilleri
Oct 26th 2009, 10:36
"AD spokesman for Social and Economic Development Michael Briguglio said his party believed the full COLA should be granted to workers.
As regards the suggestion that the government should subsidise part of the increase, he cautioned that this could undermine the sustainability of public finances."
Well said, Mr. Briguglio.
D.Galea
Oct 26th 2009, 09:43
Dear Chamber of Commerce,
The COLA is given for the already cost of living that the workers encountered for the previous year. Cola is not a bonus or an extra income. We the workers never received part of the proifit when the business was at the top. By the way most of the business (including banks) are complaining of reduced profits and not of going bankrupt. I believe that it is time that the business society starts to actually pay part of their income. The government should not gathers taxes from the workers only.
All Unions... put your foot down...we members pay the union fees in order for that you take care of our working conditions.
WE ARE ENTITLED FOR THE TOTAL COLA AMOUNT!!!!!!!