Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1187474
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 NOVEMBER 2019 NEWS 䄀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀渀琀猀 椀渀琀攀爀攀猀琀攀搀 椀渀 愀渀礀 漀昀 琀栀攀 挀甀爀爀攀渀琀 瘀愀挀愀渀挀椀攀猀Ⰰ 愀爀攀 爀攀焀甀攀猀琀攀搀 琀漀 猀攀渀搀 琀栀攀椀爀 䌀嘀Ⰰ 琀漀最攀琀栀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 愀 氀攀琀琀攀爀 漀昀 愀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 愀 挀漀瀀礀 漀昀 琀栀攀 爀攀氀攀瘀愀渀琀 焀甀愀氀椀ǻ挀愀琀椀漀渀猀 漀渀 爀攀挀爀甀椀琀洀攀渀琀䀀瀀昀猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀猀⸀攀甀 椀渀搀椀挀愀琀椀渀最 琀栀攀 樀漀戀 琀椀琀氀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀 猀甀戀樀攀挀琀⸀ 䌀䰀伀匀䤀一䜀 䐀䄀吀䔀 䘀伀刀 䄀倀倀䰀䤀䌀䄀吀䤀伀一匀 䤀匀 㠀 琀栀 䐀䔀䌀䔀䴀䈀䔀刀 ㈀ 㤀 吀栀攀 猀攀氀攀挀琀攀搀 挀愀渀搀椀搀愀琀攀 猀栀愀氀氀 瀀攀爀昀漀爀洀 搀甀琀椀攀猀 愀猀 搀椀爀攀挀琀攀搀 戀礀 琀栀攀 䴀愀渀愀最攀爀 ጠ 䌀漀洀瀀氀椀愀渀挀攀⸀ 匀⼀䠀攀 眀椀氀氀 愀瀀瀀氀礀 昀漀爀 渀攀眀Ⰰ 爀攀渀攀眀愀氀猀Ⰰ 瘀愀爀椀愀琀椀漀渀猀 愀渀搀⼀漀爀 猀甀爀爀攀渀搀攀爀 漀昀 攀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀愀氀 瀀攀爀洀椀琀猀 眀椀琀栀 䔀刀䄀㬀 愀瀀瀀氀礀 昀漀爀 氀椀挀攀渀猀攀猀 眀椀琀栀 刀攀最甀氀愀琀椀渀最 䄀甀琀栀漀爀椀琀椀攀猀㬀 椀渀猀瀀攀挀琀 愀渀搀 愀甀搀椀琀 琀栀攀 䌀漀洀瀀愀渀礀ᤠ猀 漀瀀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀猀 昀漀爀 挀漀洀瀀氀椀愀渀挀攀㬀 挀漀漀爀搀椀渀愀琀攀 琀栀椀爀搀 瀀愀爀琀礀 挀漀洀瀀氀椀愀渀挀攀 愀甀搀椀琀猀 愀渀搀 爀攀瀀氀礀 琀漀 䔀刀䄀 椀渀猀瀀攀挀琀椀漀渀 爀攀瀀漀爀琀猀⸀ 匀⼀䠀攀 眀椀氀氀 渀攀攀搀 琀漀 欀攀攀瀀 愀戀爀攀愀猀琀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 挀甀爀爀攀渀琀 渀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 愀渀搀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀愀渀 唀渀椀漀渀 愀愀愀椀爀猀 愀渀搀 瀀愀爀琀椀挀椀瀀愀琀攀 椀渀 琀爀愀椀渀椀渀最Ⰰ 椀昀 愀渀搀 眀栀攀渀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀Ⰰ 戀漀琀栀 氀漀挀愀氀氀礀 愀渀搀 愀戀爀漀愀搀⸀ 吀栀攀 挀愀渀搀椀搀愀琀攀 眀椀氀氀 愀氀猀漀 爀愀椀猀攀Ⰰ 洀漀渀椀琀漀爀 愀渀搀 挀氀漀猀攀 漀愀 䌀漀爀爀攀挀琀椀瘀攀 䄀挀琀椀漀渀 刀攀焀甀攀猀琀猀 ⠀䌀䄀刀猀⤀ 攀洀攀爀最椀渀最 昀爀漀洀 椀渀猀瀀攀挀琀椀漀渀猀 漀爀 愀甀搀椀琀猀⸀ 儀甀愀氀椀ǻ挀愀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 䔀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀 愀渀搀 匀欀椀氀氀猀 刀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀㨀 ∠ 吀栀攀 愀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀渀琀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 椀渀 瀀漀猀猀攀猀猀椀漀渀 漀昀 愀渀 䴀儀䘀 䰀攀瘀攀氀 㘀 焀甀愀氀椀ǻ挀愀琀椀漀渀 椀渀 漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 昀漀氀氀漀眀椀渀最 猀甀戀樀攀挀琀猀㨀 䜀攀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀Ⰰ 䔀愀爀琀栀 匀礀猀琀攀洀猀Ⰰ 䔀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 䔀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀愀氀 䴀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 匀挀椀攀渀挀攀猀 漀爀 䔀渀最椀渀攀攀爀椀渀最 愀渀搀 愀 礀攀愀爀 爀攀氀愀琀攀搀 眀漀爀欀 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀㬀 ∠ 倀爀漀ǻ挀椀攀渀琀 椀渀 䴀愀氀琀攀猀攀 愀渀搀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀Ⰰ 戀漀琀栀 眀爀椀琀琀攀渀 愀渀搀 瘀攀爀戀愀氀㬀 ∠ 䌀漀洀瀀甀琀攀爀 氀椀琀攀爀愀挀礀 椀猀 愀 洀甀猀琀㬀 ∠ 吀栀攀 椀搀攀愀氀 愀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀渀琀 猀栀愀氀氀 戀攀 猀攀氀昀ⴀ洀漀琀椀瘀愀琀攀搀 愀渀搀 愀戀氀攀 琀漀 洀愀渀愀最攀 洀甀氀琀椀瀀氀攀 瀀爀椀漀爀椀琀椀攀猀 愀渀搀 搀攀愀搀氀椀渀攀猀Ⰰ 瀀漀猀猀攀猀猀 猀琀爀漀渀最 氀攀愀搀攀爀猀栀椀瀀 猀欀椀氀氀猀 眀椀琀栀 攀砀挀攀瀀琀椀漀渀愀氀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀 猀欀椀氀氀猀 愀渀搀 栀愀瘀攀 攀砀挀攀氀氀攀渀琀 愀渀愀氀礀琀椀挀愀氀 愀渀搀 漀爀最愀渀椀猀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 猀欀椀氀氀猀⸀ 圀愀猀琀攀匀攀爀瘀 䴀愀氀琀愀 䰀琀搀 椀猀 猀攀攀欀椀渀最 琀漀 爀攀挀爀甀椀琀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀 漀甀爀 挀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀漀爀 琀栀攀 戀攀氀漀眀 瀀漀猀椀琀椀漀渀猀㨀 圀愀猀琀攀猀攀爀瘀 椀猀 挀漀洀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀漀眀愀爀搀猀 攀猀琀愀戀氀椀猀栀椀渀最 愀渀搀 洀愀椀渀琀愀椀渀椀渀最 椀渀渀漀瘀愀琀椀瘀攀 眀愀猀琀攀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀 椀渀昀爀愀猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 愀椀洀攀搀 愀琀 瀀爀漀琀攀挀琀椀渀最 琀栀攀 攀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀 愀渀搀 猀漀挀椀攀琀礀⸀ 吀栀攀 甀氀琀椀洀愀琀攀 愀椀洀 漀昀 圀愀猀琀攀猀攀爀瘀 椀猀 琀漀 攀渀挀漀甀爀愀最攀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 琀漀 洀愀欀攀 眀愀猀琀攀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀 愀渀 椀渀琀攀最爀愀氀 氀椀昀攀猀琀礀氀攀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀挀攀⸀ 圀䔀ᤠ刀䔀 䠀䤀刀䤀一䜀℀ rent are reinvested in more de- velopment. Higher wages and regulating the property market could be a way to break from this vicious cycle: higher labour costs would threaten develop- ers' gargantuan profits while rent regulation could disincen- tivise building more properties for short-term lets. Finally, this would slow down the rate of construction on the islands and allow us to breath. Seemingly unrelated to the environment, the demands for rent regulation and a higher minimum wage could be the most effective green measures. Contracts, paid leave and sick leave must also become obliga- tory – they will empower the workers while chipping away at developers' power and profits. Also, this could be an opportu- nity for new alliances between environmental, social justice NGOs and trade unions (the latter would need to ensure that all workers are unionised). We must keep in mind, how- ever, that weekend protests and polite campaigning are unlikely to deliver results. For as long as our demands are harmless, they will remain ignored. It is only when the protests will re- sult in significant losses of prof- it, our concerns stand a chance to be heard. Unlike protesting outside of working hours which poses no threat to the balance of power, a general strike would para- lyse an economic sector for a few days and certainly send a stronger message. In order to succeed, these demands would require trade unions to aban- don partisan loyalty and af- filiation with big business and stand by the workers' – indis- criminatory of their nationality – and environmental cause. In this way, the health and safety oversight and low wages could be addressed together with en- vironmental destruction.