The UHM today called on the government to publish the 2014 household budgetary survey.

Addressing a press conference, UĦM CEO Josef Vella said the survey needed to be published particularly given the current debate on the minimum wage.

“Even if the survey is published tomorrow it will already be too late because the data is outdated, we already need another one,” Mr Vella said.

The survey is supposed to take place every five years.

According to the last survey published in 2008, households with income between €8,000 and €10,000 spent an average of €11,109.

Mr Vella questioned if households are better or worse off now, again emphasising the need for the government to publish the last survey that took place.

Without these surveys, it is impossible to determine the necessary minimum income for households to meet their basic needs, he said.

He said a one-off adjustment to the minimum wage would only be a short-term measure.

Mr Vella said the UĦM would await the results from the last household budgetary survey before deciding what level the minimum wage should be set at, or whether a living wage should be set.