The Nationalist Party will continue to work on policies aimed at creating better jobs with better pay, Simon Busuttil pledged yesterday.
In a message on the occasion of Workers’ Day, the PN leader said that through its membership of the EU the island had managed to make strides forward in the economy through the creation of innovative economic areas, particularly in the gaming, financial and aviation sectors.
Through the work of previous PN administrations, Malta had seen an economic boom and the creation of thousands of new well-paid jobs, he added.
“We will continue to work in this direction even from the Opposition and draw up policies that sustain this type of economic development.”
In this day and age, there is no place for workers to work in precarious conditions
He noted that while, under PN administrations, the average wages used to increase by about €500 a year, over the past two years of a Labour government the average wage grew by €200 a year. Dr Busuttil said this was not a good sign for workers, particularly as the latest cost-of-living wage increase announced in the last Budget – a mere 58c a week – was the lowest ever throughout the last 30 years.
“We want an economy which not only creates jobs but gives workers a better pay. My aim is to continue on this route to assure that our economy will not only move forward but also offer better prospects for Maltese workers and assure that the wealth being generated is distributed fairly among all sectors of society,” he said.
Dr Busuttil yesterday visited the Gozo General Hospital where he said that, while the PN was in favour of continued investment in the health sector, it wanted to assure that precarious work practices, still present in the health sector, were eliminated.
In this day and age, there was no place for workers to work in precarious conditions, he insisted.
Dr Busuttil said that while the PN welcomed the latest announcements made by the government of more investment in the health sector, the party was concerned about the lack of details. Such lack of information and concrete plans was a source of stress for those already working in the sector, particularly the staff at the Gozo hospital.
He called on the government to give workers precise details about their future and declare how the new investment would affect the services given for free by the Gozo hospital and its staff.