The thousands of people who attended the Labour Party’s protest on Friday did so because of the rising cost of living and not because of lack of employment, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
“People feel their wages are not enough but we are trying to tell everyone we are also worried about safeguarding jobs and trying to find new ones for those who are unemployed,” Dr Gonzi said told a political meeting in Żejtun.
The government worked hard to defend and protect thousands of jobs last year and companies that were on a four-day week returned to a five-day week with their employees earning overtime.
“Instead of a demonstration against the cost of living we would have had people protesting because of unemployment like they are doing in other countries,” Dr Gonzi said.
He pointed out that the government had made good for the higher price of gas and fuel through the energy benefits to about 30,000 families, which cost the country millions of euro.
About 330 families received over €500 while another 8,000 got between €150 and €250, Dr Gonzi said.
The solution was not to hand out subsidies but by launching incentives to invest in solar panels or green energy, he added.
“We believe in subsidies but these should be there for those in need, to help get them through a difficult time and enable you to make the changes you need to make for your own good,” he said, referring to lifestyle changes required to reduce energy consumption. Turning to Air Malta, Dr Gonzi said its problems affected the whole country and not only the company. “We are working carefully to find the best solutions,” he said.
“My aim is to ensure Air Malta’s survival and for Malta to have an airline that is a success. The government, the parliamentary group and ministers are committed to this,” Dr Gonzi promised.
Before speaking at the Nationalist club in Żejtun, Dr Gonzi visited band clubs and even stopped by the Labour Party Club where he was greeted by Labour deputy leader Toni Abela.
Dr Gonzi spoke about the many people who voluntarily donated hours of work to politics, tying it up with the EU’s theme of focusing on voluntary work this year.
Health Minister Joe Cassar, who also addressed the meeting, said he was impressed with the thousands of people who turned up at the ministry on Saturday during an open day.
He said 1,500 people had glucose and blood pressure tests, 350 had their weight checked, 151 underwent glaucoma tests and 50 asked for a breast examination during the event.
He condemned those who “irresponsibly” tried to frighten the public by saying Mater Dei Hospital was inefficient.
Referring to the recent controversy raised by the nurses’ union about the high number of people turning up at the hospital’s Emergency Department, Dr Cassar explained it was due to fewer people taking the seasonal vaccine.
“This year – like in many other countries – many people didn’t take the flu vaccine so the numbers who fell ill peaked in the first few weeks of January,” he said.
Dr Cassar pointed out that the number of people who went to Emergency because of the flu increased by 10 per cent in the first 10 days of the year, which meant more people were admitted as patients.
“Despite this rise in patients, Mater Dei Hospital did not cancel one elective operation but actually increased them by 17 per cent over the same period last year,” he said.