MLP leadership contender Michael Falzon and the Union Ħaddiema Maqgħudin agreed this afternoon on the need to work together and to address the issue of occupational health and safety.
During a visit to the UHM, Dr Falzon insisted that political parties, both in government and in opposition, should have good relations with all the trade unions even if, traditionally, this has not been the case and the scenario was characterised by different relations with different unions.
It was not a matter of choice, but of need, Dr Falzon stressed, adding that modern society required that its realities and challenges were faced together byt he social partners.
Among these was the issue of inflation and the cost of living.
Politicians, unions, workers and stakeholders needed to look at holistic solutions together as social partners, he said, stressing on “holistic” in terms of taking into account their effects on various aspects of society and the economy.
In view of Workers’ Day on Thursday, Dr Falzon also addressed the issue of occupational health and safety, which was a current theme even in Malta, with the rate of accidents at the workplace being relatively high every year.
He said Malta needed to work much harder on two levels: As a full member of the EU, it had to make a greater effort to truly be like a European country when it came to occupational health and safety; while the problem of lack of enforcement had to be addressed.
Laws on the matter were plenty, but the Occupational Health and Safety Authority was lacking human and financial resources, with around 10 inspectors for a workforce of 140,000.
In reaction, UĦM general secretary Gejtu Vella expressed his agreement with Dr Falzon’s comments, saying: “Let us learn how to work together. If this happens, the country’s potential would be developed for the benefit of everyone.”
Cost of living and increases in price movements were a reality that had to be dealt with, but decisions were not easy, he admitted, suggesting that “we need to recognise our own problems and those we import.
“Let us see how to eliminate those we care creating for ourselves and how to address the problems we import.”