The need for urgent action in the construction sector – Janet Zahra WalkerIn a press conference on Saturday in Pietà, speakers for ADPD – The Green Party spoke about the need for action in the construction sector after another fatality on a construction site.The ADPD candidate for the Pietà local council, Janet Walker, who was also a victim of construction activity that left her homeless, appealed for owners of derelict buildings to repair any damage that may pose serious risks to the health and safety of residents and passers-by.

  Such repairs must be performed immediately as delays may lead to people suffering the consequences of an incompetent construction industry.She called for the need for public projects in Pieta to be addressed immediately, such as the passageway leading from St Luke’s Hospital to the local primary school, which should be safe for users, appealing for the installation of barricades to prevent any potential accidents.  In addition, the roundabout project opposite St Luke’s Hospital should not be delayed any further, including the installation of a public convenience.Zahra Walker also called for better access to pavements, which should have ramps for accessibility and free from any steps hindering mobility.  Open spaces should be maintained on a regular basis, including playgrounds.  In addition, there is the need for more streetlights along the coast, better pavements and cleaner streets.“There is the need for Pietà to have a new council that urgently takes action on such needs, and I am ready to work for this,” concluded Zahra Walker.ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that after the tragic death of another worker on a construction site in Sliema, the Prime Minister announced that calls are open for more inspectors for inspections on construction sites.  “This was something that he was well aware of but chose to ignore the problem.  Now because there is another death on his hands, he has decided to do something. And just a couple of days ago another serious incident happened in Floriana where the roof of a residence caved in. A family can count themselves as lucky because they had decided to move to another place pending the construction works next door.The resignation of Jesmond Muscat, the CEO of the Building and Construction Authority, after the tragic death of Bari Balla appears to be simply in reaction to what has happened.  Taking the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry, whereby the State was found to be guilty, it appears that the state is far from showing any remorse or the will to change things.  The cowboys in the construction sector are still with us and the sense of impunity and zero-enforcement are still evident.  If this accident had not happened, would anybody have known that these works were not covered by a permit? I have my reservations.Despite the resignations in the wake of the Sofia public inquiry, the problems are still there and those who have appointed these people in the first place are those that are truly responsible.  Until Ministers Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Silvio Schembri and Miriam Dalli resign, the resignations of these CEOs are only a public relations exercise to maintain a public image with no substance to back this up.  We have ministers for salaries and ribbon-cutting events, but they are not accountable for their actions and their choices.   There is the need for political maturity and for them to resign to show that they are equal to use and not above us.When you have bricks falling on cars parked along streets, such as what happened in Buġibba, one perceives that this is the result of incompetence and not just some random incident.  When you see an elderly person, out of desperation, taking the law into his hands following the collapse of his home due to adjoining construction works, you know that the people have been pushed to their limits.  Whilst violence is never the solution, one can feel the sense of abandonment that victims of construction feel when seeking assistance from institutions for protection, just like what ADPD candidate for Pieta Janet Zahra Walker felt.  Enough with the usual excuses ‘It’s not anybody’s fault.  It’s not his job.  No one is responsible.’  We want accountability.ADPD candidate for the European Parliament Mina Jack Tolu mentioned that the public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia was only opened after considerable pressure from civil society.  He said it was now time for local councils to take responsibility for the safety of buildings in their locality. “Local councils should be given the necessary funds for buildings and properties to be surveyed, and owners of derelict and abandoned buildings posing health and safety hazards to passers-by should be required to k