Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1356256
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 MARCH 2021 OPINION Minimum wage and social justice ternal influences. And what do you know? This takes us right back to the same old 'rule-of-law issues', for which our country has been hauled over the coals so much in recent years. You know: 'the separation of powers', and all that… Meanwhile, on another lev- el entirely, there are also many valid reasons for Robert Abela to refuse recommending a par- don, in this particular case: and not all of them are 'political'. Among those publicly arguing against a pardon for the De- giorgios is none other than the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foun- dation (which, given the name, presumably speaks on behalf of the Caruana Galizia family). In any case, they are clearly moti- vated by 'justice' for the murder victim; and it is highly debata- ble whether justice can be said to have been served… unless all those involved in that barbaric crime are made to pay for their actions in full. This alone should be reason enough to remove the deci- sion-making power from the Prime Minister's hands, once and for all. For the way the cookie has now crumbled: even if Robert Abela does take what the Caruana Galizias them- selves consider to be the right decision… it will still somehow come across as a decision taken for all the wrong, 'political' rea- sons. From that perspective, it is not just Robert Abela himself who stands to lose out on all fronts… it is the rest of us, too. (Or at least, those among us who real- ly do want justice to be served: in this, and in all cases). And all because of a single, glaring flaw in our criminal justice system, that has been painfully visible for literally decades… yet which we somehow never quite got round to fixing… THE European Commission recently pro- posed setting minimum wage standards across the bloc. However, both Government and Opposition have agreed to oppose this move, ignoring debates and statistics about the minimum wage in Malta, which are cer- tainly less than pleasant. Given that Malta has the fourth worst rat- ing when it comes to minimum wage as a percentage of median wage, our represent- atives should have every reason to support a gradual increase in minimum wage as an elementary act of social justice. Studies on the standard of living of people on low wages, such as those conducted by Cari- tas, have shown that the current minimum wage is far from adequate. An increase of up to 60% of the median wage would mean that the current minimum wage of around €780/month would rise to around €1050/ month. The wealth that has been generat- ed in Malta in recent years owes much to the hard work of Maltese and foreign workers working on or just above the minimum wage. We believe they deserve to be given the wages they deserve. Raising the mini- mum wage in Mal- ta would lead to a general increase in wages, especially in the lower-income brackets. This would have positive effects on a large number of workers, especially those in the hospitality and construction industry, whose wage packet is close to the minimum wage. Higher wages would lead to more spend- ing and this would in turn have a positive effect on small businesses. Parents who have been skipping meals will have more money to spend on food. People who need to repair their car or carry our renovation works at home will have the money to do so. Moreover, not having to worry about whether they have enough money to sur- vive till the end of the month will give peo- ple more peace of mind and increase pro- ductivity in the workplace. 'Paga Minima Diċenti', a campaign in favour of a decent minimum wage led by Moviment Graffitti, Caritas and Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar, had suggested an increase of 11%, spread over three years (i.e. an in- crease of 3.5% per year), so as to ease the pressure on small businesses that employed people on a minimum wage. This is the approach being discussed in the United States, where a federal increase in the min- imum wage is being proposed over a period of five years. The government itself has acknowledged how low the national minimum wage is by providing a wage supplement of 800€, higher than the current minimum wage, because of the COVID-19 emergency. However, we are disappointed that the re- cently appointed Minister of Finance has ruled out any measures by the government to support this increase. The gap between the haves and the have nots in Malta is growing. This has been exacerbated by the exponential increase in rental fees. What will happen to those who have been barely coping with the supplemen- tary wage? Will they return to work on a similar wage, which has clearly not been enough for them to live a decent life? When prices in the rental fees return to normal, will the cur- rent wages be enough to cover the basic cost of living? We think not. Raising wages is vital both for those on the min- imum wage and for the significantly larg- er number of work- ers working on low wages which are just above the current minimum wage. Historically the reluctance to raise wag- es, not necessarily the minimum wage, has been connected to concerns about infla- tion, especially an increase in the price of goods. However, the prices of goods are not determined solely by the wage given to workers. Property prices have risen, but that doesn't mean that all workers have been paid more; take, for example, work- ers in the construction industry. Often it is the sellers who determine prices, and how much they are going to make themselves. Increasing the minimum wage will help decrease the inequality that exists between those who are setting these prices and their workers. Moviment Graffitti is making this propos- al of an adequate minimum wage because we believe that every worker has a right to a fair wage and a decent quality of life. Rafel Grima The gap between the haves and the have nots in Malta is growing. This has been exacerbated by the exponential increase in rental fees Rafel Grima is a member of Moviment Graffitti