Workers’ Day: learning and work for the good of the communityToday ADPD – The Greens’ Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo accompanied by Ralph Cassar, Secretary General and Melissa Bagley, Deputy Secretary General visited the MCAST Covid-19 vaccination centre.

The visit was also held to commemorate this year’s Workers’ Day.Carmel Cacopardo praised MCAST nursing students and their lecturers. He said that serving the community in these circumstances is a way for students to learn that knowledge and skills gained through study can and should be used for the good of communities and our society. He added that while it is good that the vaccination rate is moving at a good pace, he stressed that the country should reopen gradually and with caution. He said we should take this opportunity to change aspects of the economy to improve the quality of life for all.Everyone deserves a decent income, so it is important that we study both at the European Union and the local level, the concept of a guaranteed Universal Basic Income, so that we make sure that everyone in Malta and the European Union has enough income for a good quality of life. We need to ensure that the rights that workers have acquired over the years, thanks to trade unions, apply to all newer types of work, including to freelancers, the self-employed and platform workers. The fight against zero-hour contracts must continue. It is unacceptable that despite some improvements, the minimum wage is still too low to make work pay and to lift workers out of poverty.***Jum il-Ħaddiem: it-tagħlim u x-xogħol għall-ġid tal-komunitàIllum iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo akkumpanjat minn Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali u Melissa Bagley, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali tal-partit għamlu żjara ċ-ċentru tat-tilqim kontra l-Covid-19 tal-MCAST. Iż-żjara saret ukoll biex tfakkar Jum il-Ħaddiem.Carmel Cacopardo faħħar lill-istudenti infermiera tal-MCAST u ‘l-lecturers tagħhom. Qal illi li tagħti servizz lill-komunità f’dawn iċ-ċirkostanzi huwa mod kif l-istudenti jitgħallmu li l-għerf u t-teknika li wieħed jikseb mill-istudju jista’ u għandu jintuża għall-ġid tal-komunitajiet u tas-soċjetà tagħna. Kompla li filwaqt li huwa tajjeb li r-rata ta’ tilqim għaddejja b’pass tajjeb, saħaq li l-pajjiż għandu jerġa jiftaħ gradwalment u b’kawtela. Qal li għandna nieħdu l-opportunità biex inbiddlu aspetti mill-ekonomija biex intejbu l-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ kulħadd.Kulħadd ħaqqu dħul diċenti, u għaldaqstant huwa importanti li nistudjaw kemm fuq livell tal-Unjoni Ewropea u anke lokali, il-kunċett ta’ dħul minimu garantit (jew Universal Basic Income) biex kulħadd f’Malta u fl-Unjoni Ewropea ikollu biżżejjed dħul biex jgħix b’mod diċenti u dinjituż. Hemm bżonn li niżguraw li d-drittijiet li kisbu l-ħaddiema tul is-snin, grazzi għat-trade unions, japplikaw għal kull tip ta’ xogħol, inkluż il-freelancers, self–employed u platform workers. Il-ġlieda kontra l-kuntratti ‘zero-hour’ għandha tkompli. Huwa wkoll inaċċettabbli li l-paga minima għadha mwaħħla f’livell baxx wisq biex ix-xogħol verament jiġbrok mill-faqar.