Updated at 12.20pm with Labour statement
Plans to keep fuelling Malta’s economy with boosts of cheap labour drew the ire of two political parties on Saturday, with a third expressing alarm at the government’s apparent reluctance to factor environmental considerations into urban planning.
“Foreign workers are living in overcrowded houses while locals are worried about rising rental and real estate prices,” the PN said in a statement. “EU data proves it”.
MPs Marthese Portelli and Ivan Bartolo were referring to Eurostat results which found that 13 per cent of non-EU foreign workers lived in overcrowded accommodation, as well as Eurobarometer survey results which revealed that rising housing prices are a key concern among locals.
“The lack of long-term planning is leading to the rise of cheap labour, as highlighted by Yana Mintoff, and to schoolchildren being taught inside container classrooms,” they warned.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has repeatedly emphasised the need for Malta to import foreign labour, saying that this was a necessary step for the country to continue growing while being able to finance social benefits like pensions.
The Labour Party accused the PN of "resorting to xenophobia and far-right statements" to try and spin a positive Eurobarometer report their way.
"The PN knows that the government is already addressing the challenges it highlighted," Labour said.
No sustainable policies - PD
In its own statement, the Democratic Party’s MEP candidates spoke with concern about the government’s reluctance to force urban planners to make long-term environmental considerations.
Watch: Malta has failed at planning, says construction lobby chief
“Sustainable development implies sustainable environmental policies, which are dependent on sustainable economic growth,” said Martin Cauchi Inglott.
“Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat stated that he fails to see that urban planning for years to come should venture into these considerations. In my opinion this is absurd,” he said.
The PD’s Anthony Buttigieg accused the PA of being “politically captured” while candidate Camilla Appelgren argued that environmental degradation was happening “piecemeal”, with no holistic policy in sight.
Cut construction sector down to size - AD
Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the government’s assurances that foreign workers brought in to service massive construction projects would be assured minimum employment conditions, but said this was not enough.
Education advances had led to fewer low-skilled labourers being available, the AD said.
“Government should take this opportunity to cut the construction industry down to size and resuce the economic dependency of the country on it,” said AD chair Carmel Cacopardo.
He said it was “clear” that private investors were out to squeeze all the profits they could.
“The db Group, for example, after being acquiring public land from Government for a pittance, is now doing its utmost to minimize the cost of construction to further increase its profits to the maximum possible,” he said.