It was time for the government and the social partners to hammer out a solution to help workers who cannot maintain a decent standard of living, the General Workers’ Union said today.

[attach id=553021 size="medium"]GWU president Victor Carachi.[/attach]

A solution was needed resolve the so-called ‘in-work poverty’ as well as poverty in general, GWU president Victor Carachi said in his end-of-year message.

The GWU said the time was ripe to act as it applauded the government's achievements, most notably in reducing unemployment and in sustaining economic growth.

To help those who are struggling to make ends meet, a number of mechanisms needed to be implemented. But a number of direct interventions were also required – an increase in the minimum wage, pensions and benefits for those who cannot work, Mr Carachi said.

These initiatives should lead to the implementation of the GWU's living wage and income proposal which would guarantee a decent living for everybody.

“The economy is there to serve the person and not the other way round… This doesn't mean an uncontrolled rise in salaries since we still need to remain competitive. The government also needs to be careful about the way it raises pensions and benefits.”

The main challenge is to establish the right balance so that any increase in wages and benefits are spread over a period of time not to create any shocks to the economy.