Gozo Bishop Mario Grech yesterday called on the social partners, the government in particular, and the private sector to urgently address the “vital” issue of unemployment on the small island.
The Gozo issue had to be on the national agenda, on a par with other social matters, he said, adding that Gozitan families were suffering due to unemployment.
Speaking during Mass in Victoria to mark Gozo Day, he said anyone who claimed to love the island should address the problem of job shortages.
He said families were forced to leave Gozo for Malta, or even overseas, due to the problem of unemployment. Young couples had no choice but to emigrate and start a family elsewhere, paying a high price, he said.
This demographic phenomenon should be considered seriously because it meant a strong drain of talents and resources while the population was ageing and its economic, intellectual, cultural and spiritual potential was drying up.
“Who has a vision for Gozo should be concerned about this fact, which does not augur much of a future,” Mgr Grech said.
“It is a fact that those who are aware of the problem and want to address it do not always find the necessary cooperation for the debate on unemployment in Gozo to be done responsibly.”
Mgr Grech appealed for a collective effort to overcome fragmentation and see Gozo’s interest come before private issues.
In the face of the threat of lack of work, it was easy to give in to temptations to sacrifice other values – such as working on Sundays – to retain a job. Sunday, he insisted, was a day of rest, family and community. Those who made people work on Sundays were not only taking advantage of them but were also making a “bad calculation”.
Gozo Day was not just a celebration but should serve for reflection on current social themes, Mgr Grech said, insisting it was important for the island to have the opportunity to bear more fruit.
The third consecutive Gozo Day was also commemorated in Victoria’s Independence Square. It recalls the moment in history when the parish priest Saver Cassar led, in 1798, the uprising of the Gozitans against the French forces, who were crushing their rights and traditions.
Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono insisted Gozo Day should serve to protect the traditions and culture that “make us who we are”.