UĦM calls for free childcare facilities for all
The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin is urging the government to introduce free childcare services for all those parents who wish to make use of them.
Union officials said the proposal would benefit middle and low-income families and the economy in general, while not being a burden on the state.
The proposal is the main one being made by the union for the Budget.
Josef Vella, UHM General Secretary, said that Malta's female employment ratio was performing worst in the sector of mothers who would have left school at the end of secondary. They found that it was not viable for them to pay for childcare in order to go out to work.
The provision of free childcare facilities would encourage some 2000 such mothers to go out to work, Mr Vella said.
He said the government should offer up to 5,000 places for children in childcare facilities (from the current 2,000).
This, they said, would create 2,550 jobs, of which 550 would be new carer jobs and 2,000 would be the mothers taking up paid work.
The outlay on the childcare services was projected to be around €11m in salaries for child carers and €3.5m to cover running costs for a total of €14.55 million.
However the government would receive revenue of €4.34 million in direct taxation (based on the 2,000 mothers working an average of 33.7 hours a week and paid the minimum wage). There would also be €10.4 million in indirect taxation and €600,000 less in tax credits for total revenue of €15.43 million.
In other proposals, the UHM called for more sustainable pensions, including talks for the introduction of second pillar pensions by 2015.
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Josef Fenech
Oct 4th 2012, 09:11
Although UĦM's call for free childcare facilities is a good proposal. As a parent of child attending one of these facilities, its is very clear that FES in the last months is only focusing on cost cutting and this to the detriment of the services being offered.
Just to give a few examples:
a) the established child / carer ratio is at times not being respected.
b) FES only yesterday chopped out 43 hours a year, that our child can attend childcare facility.
c) FES organised a graduation party last week at the child centre and to do this they closed the child care centres on 2 days, for 4 hours each day.
So I ask UHM what is the scope of making them free of charge, when FES is currently already cost cutting at the detriment of the families using these facilities ?
C Tonna
Oct 3rd 2012, 01:40
Another means by which children are brought up by strangers and their values instead of their parents and theirs.
What we need are better wages so that parents are able to stop working for a few years to bring up their children, not dump the reponsibility on others just so that they can make more money!
Ms Maria Vella
Oct 3rd 2012, 00:31
Of course there are all the single people paying for them through their taxes!
Before bringing children into this world perhaps it would be a good idea to see if parents can actually afford them
Mario Sacco
Oct 4th 2012, 22:29
Bringing up children is a vocation and having children is beneficial to the nation as well since children will be the future generation who pay taxes when we become pensioners. It is the nation's obligation to care for future generation. Although you are single i think that you are part of the nation as well
Eve Axiaq
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:36
'Low income families' dejjem igawdu minn fuq il middle class. Din il proposta dak li tfisser. Ahna nhallsu t taxxi biss filwaqt li dawk il hafna li taparsi jaqilghu ftit igawdu aktar.
Mario Sacco
Oct 4th 2012, 22:20
Il-proposta msemmija ma taghmilx distinzjoni fuq l-income izda jekk iz-zewg genituri jahdmux jew le!!! Jekk taghmel il-kalkoli sew jekk zewg genituri jahdmu it-tnejn allura huma wkoll kontibuturi fit-taxxa.
Angelo Vassallo
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:07
@ Emanuel. Vella.
Sur emanuel vella inti taf ezattament xi trid?
Dak li jrid Josef Vella is-Segretarju Generali l-gdid tal-UNION HADDIEMA MAGHQUDIN huwa tajjeb u tajjeb hafna. Il-problema hija INTI sur emanuel vella u hafna LEJBURISTI bhalek li mohhom biex iwaqqghu l-gvern. Inti ddikjarajt li taqbel ma franco debono li dan ghandu jivvota kontra l-bagit.
Issa sur emanuel vella, mizura socjali tajba bhal ma semma s-Segretarju Generali tal-UNION HADDIEMA MAGHQUDIN tista` ssir b'mizuri mittiehda fil-bagit. Vot kontra il-bagit ifisser vot kontra mizuri socjali bhal dawn.
IDDECIEDI XI TRID sur emanuel vella.
Angelo Vassallo
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:51
@ Emanuel Vella.
Agreeing with franco debono means that the COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) of about €4.66 per week for 2013 will not be given to the WORKERS including yourself mr. emanuel vella.
Understood - franco debono = NO WAGE INCREASES for 2013. The wage freeze is here with us, 12 months earlier than "dear leader" joseph muscat planned it to be.
Lawrence Fenech
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:23
UHM you are on the right track.
Mario Sacco
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:21
I believe that if both parents are working its a must that an incentive has to be given for these parents to facilitate their lives and help them to remain both in the labour market. The least Govt can do is to give these parents a free childcare facilities for those hours of work that are not covered by school hours. Well done UHM for the brilliant proposal in this regard and its a shame for all the comments in this blogs that are politically motivated. Such a matter is for the good of healthy families and therefore a healthier society.
dino galea galea
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:10
i agree hundred percent..... governnment should help more single mothers to enter in the labour market .not remain their entire lifetime on social benefits. this is one of the best initiative to promote more female workers.apart of that the relief given to single mothers should only be given for a year then she has to work while her children will be at the childcare
Leslie Darmanin
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:28
Nobody said this is for "single mothers". The report says it is for "all those parents who wish to make use of them". This means anyone can go and dump their kids at the local childcare centre and go off and do what the hell they want to do. No, this is socialism a its worst. Socialism does not work. It just adds burdens on tax payers and true contributors to the national wealth.
Frans Aguis
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:39
This was actually in their last manifesto.
E Bonnici
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:30
@ Leslie Darmanin.
It's amazing your way of thinking! If you think that all parents send their kids to a nursery because they want to dump them there and not because they are both obliged to earn their daily living, you are wrong my friend.
Sometimes, even when both parents work, their financial obligations that they have to face (loan or rent, the daily living costs...) do not match with the monthly salary.
Don't come with the argument of having a loan on a boat, going abroad every other month, spending their salary on branded clothes, or playing all their wage at the casino or on the super 5. Although I'm sure these scenarios exist, they are definitely a minority.
Parents work today not for pleasure but to live a correct life. I definitely agree that for the stability of a family, 1 of the parents should stay at home (definitely less stress on the parents when it comes to the care of the kids and the daily chores). However whereas this lifestyle was a common feature in the past, even for those who could afford less, today this lifestyle is only available for those who are much well off than the norm.
Leslie Darmanin
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:45
@ E Bonnici
I never said "all parents" for heavens sake, and I do agree with you on all the points mentioned.
It is just that this is the wrong way of going about it. You do not just provide a blacket free childcare service in the hope that it will in the end pay for itself. There are irresponsible parents, there are lazy parents who do not want to work, there are bumers and there are parenents who get their priorities wrong ilike, as you mention,putting travel and brand clothing before their children. A free childcare service would only encourage more of this at the tax payers' expense. One alternative would be tax rebates for example, but certainly not a free service to whoever walks into a child care centre dragging a poor child behind.
Ms Maria Vella
Oct 3rd 2012, 00:33
Single mothers have enough benefits and most of them aren't single they are a bunch of persons who find many loop holes in a system that does not have the balls to control such abuse
S. Zammit
Oct 3rd 2012, 11:46
@ Ms. Maria Vella
Jekk joghgbok tiggenerallizzax! I know of single parents (teen mothers, widowers etc) who raise their kids (very well as a 2 parent family) by going to work, pay taxes like you do with no benefits whatsoever...
Leslie Darmanin
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:59
There is no such thing as free. Everything comes at a price and while the intentions of the UHM are definitely well intended, it is not so simple. We must apply the free market economy principle. If mothers are unwilling to go out to work because the costs of child care are too much, then it is the wages that should go up, not the cost of childcare down. If on the other hand demand for labour is not that high, then mothers are on the losing end until the labour market situation changes. What DEFINITELY will not help mothers is Labour's proposal on the minimun wage (have to be careful here or Joseph Muscat will sue me). If you keep the minimum wage... er... let us say.... stable... then there is no way that mothers would be inclined to go out to work. Hands off the labour market. If there is demand , wages will rise. Just don't meddle with the market. That would work better than any UHM or Labour Party proposal on the ... er... what should we call it..... unfrozen minimum wage.
E Bonnici
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:54
It makes sense especially for those who earn a miserable salary as it is much worth staying at home raising your kids rather than working and sending them to a nursery.
When one calculates the monies spent on nursery fees, petrol and medical expenses, when one checks the money remaining, the end result is rather dismal.
fred sammut
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:35
brilliant idea............
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:20
On the way - in the next budget. How much shall we bet?
carlos ellul
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:19
I have no problem about that as long as both parents work.
Paul Camilleri
Oct 2nd 2012, 20:31
If both parents work, they are to pay for the childcare facilities which they would enjoy and not load a burden through further taxes on pensioners or the unemployed.
Emanuel. Vella.
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:18
is-segretarju il-gdid tal-UHM is-sur JOSEF VELLA,tkellem hafna tajjeb il-bierah 1-10-12,fuq programm televiziv kompli sejjer hekk SUR JOSEF VELLA,l-unions f'malta aktar nies bhalek iridu,tahtek il-UHM twieldet mill-gdid saret union serja u ta veru ghal-HADDIEMA MALTIN U GHAWDXIN,proset mill-gdid SUR VELLA u kompli hekk.
carmel callus
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:15
Agreed as long as they are funded by UHM!
Mr Evan Camilleri
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:50
free free free.... when are we going to learn that nothing is free and 'free' services would result to monsters being built?
'subsidised', maybe.... but not free
David Buttigieg
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:46
Fine,
It could be paid for from the benefits currently paid to those "single parents" who would then have no excuse not to go to work!
Ms.D. Galea
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:45
Whose taxes will foot the bill for the up-keep of these FREE childcare facilities proposed by UHM?
Pensioners with the pension raises proposed by the same UHM?
Paul Camilleri
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:34
Why should government introduce free childcare services for all those parents who wish to make use of them? Is it fair on pensioners to pay tax while parents are given the chance to go to work?
If parents are working they would be in a position to pay for the childcare services being offered.
Lucienne Dimech
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:32
How obvious that election time is around. A government that is forking out millions that he doesn't have, and every u ion and entity asking for what it is most likely to obtain. When we ask for services to be given for free we are only asking those who pay a high tax rate to subsidise such services. Is it fair? The government would better stop to think before giving more false steps in the direction of its own coffin.
Eve Axiaq
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:30
Naqbel ma l-idea imma weghdi fil vojt u proponimenti nistghu namlu kemm irridu, ghax il budget mhux se jaddi.
John Scerri
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:24
UĦM calls for free childcare facilities for all
There is no such thing as ''free''
Everything is paid for through our taxes .
Why should those who do not make use of childcare facilities contribute for those who do?
Desiree Curmi
Oct 2nd 2012, 19:00
By the same reasoning , Mr Scerri i don't use government hospitals or clinics so why should i contribute to those who do ?? We are living in a civilised country and yes these benefits should be available to everyone. Its the rampant abuse going on that should be stopped.
Desiree Curmi
Oct 2nd 2012, 19:04
That being said i dont agree that the service should be free of charge. It should be discounted...
Joseph Aquilina
Oct 2nd 2012, 13:13
I am sorry UHM, Franco said no.
Emanuel. Vella.
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:56
I am sorry Joseph aquilina,dr.franco debono ghandu ragun bli se jaghmel u naqbel hafna mieghu jien,ghax 'il-klikka gonzipn' imissa ilha li 'jirrezenjat min hemm',u proset dr.franco debono se taghmel pass tajjeb ghal gid ta pajjizna ilkoll.
Joseph Aquilina
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:54
@Emanuel. Vella
I have no dount that you agree with franco debono (voting against the budget) given that this has been the fantasy dream for these last five years for all those which support lejber. That said; the point I wanted to make is that franco decided to vote against the budget (if Austin is still in the cabinet) without even knowing what the budget will contain.
Please choose the reason of your report below: