Caritas calls for realistic definition of the poverty line
Caritas officials and the writers of a report which last year called for an upward revision of the minimum wage.
Caritas Malta has urged the political parties to give a new, realistic definition of the poverty line based on current conditions in Malta and considering not only income but also the resources needed by every person to purchase essential goods and services.
The movement, which last year called for a review of the minimum wage, said in election proposals to the parties that the State had a responsibility to ensure that all people had a decent standard of living, with income at least covering their essential needs. .
Special attention needed to be given to families who were disadvantaged because of unemployment, precarious work, illness, debt and other social conditions, as well as those who were unable to manage their money well.
The movement said that legal, economic and social protection needed to be given to all families. Those who were in a precarious economic situation should be given access to decent housing at rents which reflected their income.
Particular attention also needed to be given to the children in such families so that this social problem would not grow and become more serious..
Caritas also underlined the importance of jobs, saying that work was a right and a duty for all people. It said that wages should be fair and should not be below the level needed for a decent standard of living for the workers and their families.
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Jonathan Camilleri
Apr 11th, 19:55
Has the Government shown concern for the poverty line?
Lina Caruana
Feb 27th, 20:09
discourse about poverty needs caution.Unrest can be created even by high expectations when affluency is more pronounced than poverty. The people who truly need help should be helped but high expectations will not do anybody any good. We cannot be all millionaires. Greed for money can create criminals.
Raymond Sacco
Mar 1st, 14:46
We cannot be all millionaires, Ms. Caruana, but history shows us that greed has always come from the millionaires' side and not from the poor. Just look at what's going on in our court rooms at present! Unrest is created when the man in the street is forced to poverty while the millionaires and politicians evade their due taxes, as what happened in Greece.
Joseph N. Attard
Feb 27th, 19:23
Many people are pseudo poor. Whilst presiding over a philantrophic society, we wanted to celebrate the millenium by creating a scholarship for some needy university students. We were cautioned that students who on paper came from the most needy families probably has the most amount of ready cash available!
Michael Seychell
Feb 27th, 17:15
I condone the comments made by Caritas on this matter, however I feel stunned how come & why no public comment was made by CARITAS when it was proved that political leaders have not reported to the police a clear case of drug abuse in a political club, knowing very well what this NGO has done since its inception to fight the drug promlem & help drug addicts.
Michael Seychell Tal-Pieta
Carmel Camilleri
Feb 27th, 17:53
Well said Michael.
Jo Camilleri
Feb 27th, 16:58
Hu fatt ukoll ta ammont ta nies li qedin jghidu li huma fi stat ta faqar u jilghabu il lottu, etc. u jpejpu s sigaretti u jgorru li mux qeda isservijhom il paga. Dawn in nies qieghed isir studju fuqhom?? Sahhansitra jibqu lura milli jixtru l affarijiet essenzenzjali imma ghal lottu u s sigaretti ghandom. Nahseb jekk nedukaw lil dawn n nies ( li nahseb huwa difficli) l istampa tal faqar tinbidel
Carmel Camilleri
Feb 27th, 18:12
Before we classify people as poor we must first examine how they spend their money. Caritas should know as everyone else that many of the so called poor persons squander their money in lotto games , cigarettes, drinks, coffee mornings, and other non essential items. Why should we tax the hard earnings of workers to make good for the capricious habits of these people.
George Calleja
Feb 27th, 16:00
Seeing the picture above made me think how certain people comment according to the TV station that interviews them. If its NET than we're on velvet but if it's ONE than we're on the poverty line! Economists should be more faithful to the real situation and not swing from one side to the other to please both gods!!
pat muscat
Feb 27th, 15:33
Its a disgrace that the government gives contracts to companies who employ precarious workers worsening the already dramatic difficulties the families of these workers are already facing.
Paul Abela
Feb 27th, 16:09
How right you are Pat. It's a shame we have cleaneres with a PhD who are paid the minimum wage because they can't find a job at University. Its a real shame there are so many foreigners who come to work in Malta because they can't find a job in their European homeland. All this because Gonzi has managed the country so badly that there are not enough locals to snatch the jobs that have been created
ray vassallo
Feb 27th, 16:56
Mr. Abela, you're joking right? Do you know how many workers from those 20,000 so called jobs created don't even earn the minimum wage, have no paid leave days, no sick leave, let alone other employment rights? Do you know how many of them work around 80 hours a week without getting paid overtime rates? And all this with the government's consent through contracts handed out to these contractors!
Paul Abela
Feb 27th, 17:40
Mr Vassallo, this is a free country and a democratic one ruled by the rule of law. if you know anyone working with the conditions you mentioned, go and report it to the Labour Office, which will investigate. Your claims that people are working 80 hours a week for peanuts is typical labour propaganda. Tell us who these people are so that we can verify and investigate please.
ray vassallo
Feb 28th, 19:08
You're joking again Mr. Abela! Do you really think that these contractors hav never been reported to the labour office? Just go to Mater Dei and ask the securities, the care workers, the cleaners about their conditions. And what have all this got to do with political propaganda? It's a well known fact which everybody knows, except, of course, people who wear blinkers!
Henry S Pace
Feb 27th, 15:15
The definition of 'POVERTY' is high;y disputable.
The social strata gives different interpretation of 'poverty'
THIS HAS TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED THOUGH IT LOOKS NOT QUITE EASY TO GIVE THE EXACT INTERPRETATION.
A. Sultana
Feb 27th, 14:40
Finally an argument that makes sense with regards to poverty in Malta... You hear people accusing this government of poverty in Malta as if all the cases are its fault.
I have really been looking forward to see some sort of study on the type of poverty we are facing in Malta.
anthony sultana
Feb 27th, 14:08
Only the Caritas and the AD party want to help the low income people.Poverty is going to explode after this election.
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 27th, 13:51
A paramedic friend of mine in the U.K. who goes into houses where people are on benefits says it's strange how they all seem to have the latest in t.v. sets, hi-fi equipment, games consoles, Nike trainers and track suits etc. etc.
I'm not saying there aren't poor people around, but we certainly need to define the meaning of poverty; certainly in the U.K. anyway.
Paul Abela
Feb 27th, 13:43
Illum jekk ma jkollox iphone u high speed internet tkun fqir! Ghax sirna niehdu kollox for granted! Il-veru faqar hu il-guh u li ma jkollokx fejn toqghod mhux ix-xewqa li tkun ahjar. Imma kulhadd iridha hobbla w treddgha u hadd ma jrid jahdem ghal xejn
Please choose the reason of your report below: