Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1358359
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 APRIL 2021 OPINION WHAT does Freedom Day mean to the Maltese people? "Achieving freedom" does not only mean the departure of the British military base, but also freedom in our thinking, in our choice; a freedom that gave the Maltese and Gozitan people the choice and creation of their fu- ture. A freedom that has created a democratic, social and self-gov- erning society. In these 42 years of freedom, Malta continued to move forward and make its own choices that have translated into economic and social development. Choices that created a society built on so- cial solidarity, the values of mutual respect and solidarity between cit- izens, a democratic country based on work and respect for funda- mental human rights, freedom of speech and thought, the right to work and freedom of association. Freedom means that we make decisions and take the direction we want for the good of our so- ciety, with the values that shaped us: equality, solidarity, social pro- gress, and equity. But the road to freedom began long before. Many say the road to liberation began on 28 April 1958 when the GWU called for a general strike to stop and con- front the arrogance of a coloni- al government that was ruining the lives of thousands of Maltese workers. It was a beginning that led to independence and later freedom. It was the beginning we held in our hands. After liberation, great reforms took place and Mal- ta changed completely. And the journey of the Maltese people has come to 'an end' with Malta join- ing the European Union. Freedom has imposed a respon- sibility on all of us. A social re- sponsibility that we must share to ensure that no one falls and lives in poverty, no one is discriminat- ed against, no one is exploited, no one is abused, and everyone has the right to decent work and equal pay and everyone lives a decent life. The GWU was at the forefront, not only in the march towards full freedom for our country, but in strengthening working condi- tions, improving living standards and most importantly in gaining more rights for members and workers in general. The march of GWU started long before 31 March 1979, which was a histor- ic moment that further strength- ened the work of GWU after the 1958 strike. Moments like these distin- guished us and set us apart from other unions. Since its foundation, the GWU has always been linked to the political and social develop- ment of our country. It was found- ed to defend, guarantee and work for a better future for its partners, their families and above all for the Maltese people. The values that shaped us are still the same val- ues. They are the same values that have shaped our vision. It is the reason why the GWU has been a protagonist in the most impor- tant times of this nation. We have done so and continue to do so be- cause we have always believed in the potential of Maltese workers and their partners to build a fu- ture. We have never been discour- aged by any challenge faced by all members and workers. That is why Freedom Day is the day when we as a union remem- ber our past work and shape our future work. Today, as then, we must show courage and face a pandemic; and a new world of work. In our daily work we hon- our the oath of George Agius, to work for a better Malta. Today, the GWU is working for a different, but equally important, deliverance as on that day. Today we are working to get rid of a pan- demic that has put people's lives in danger, that has brought our economy and the entire world to a standstill. Workers have been asked to make sacrifices. The gov- ernment is helping to give wages to workers who have been pre- vented from doing their jobs. This year showed the greatness of the GWU, a protagonist in the social dialogue with both the govern- ment and the social partners, to save thousands of jobs. We do this because we believe in collective work and because we believe that together we can find solutions. We have worked with the author- ities on health measures to protect lives. We have worked with the government to protect jobs, and we have worked with employers to protect workers in every work- place. At the same time, we are work- ing to create a new world of work. A world of work that respects the worker and their work. It is impor- tant that what has been achieved over time continues to be appre- ciated. We will certainly not allow the benefits gained over the years to be withheld from workers in new forms. What was once impossible is now being done, and so COVID-19 has changed the way we look at the world of work. This new world has led to workers working from home, ordering food from shops on demand, ordering a taxi on demand. The GWU wants to see that everything that has been done and achieved for workers over the years is extended, and not lost. In the same spirit and will, today the GWU is working to improve the working conditions and qual- ity of life of thousands of workers with proposals that help and pro- tect, such as the right to discon- nect, gender pay gap, work-life balance, digital workers. During this year we have worked to give a voice to all those who do not have a voice – Maltese work- ers, workers from Europe, work- ers from third countries, workers in the digital economy. We have seen too much abuse and discrimination against those who are not organized within a trade union. For the worker to be free from all forms of abuse, they need to be a member of the GWU. We believe this because as trade-unionists we believe that workers must be united and in solidarity with each other. Soli- darity is the fiber that binds soci- ety together. And there is another freedom that the GWU is working for, freedom from prejudice, freedom from racism, freedom from hatred towards all that is different. Free- dom from victory, and freedom from individualism. We strive to guarantee equality, inclusion, tol- erance, integration, eradication of the precarious and fight against abuse. Freedom Day: we shape the work of our future Josef Bugeja is Secretary General of the General Workers' Union Josef Bugeja 31 March 1979: Dom Mintoff at the Freedom Memorial in Vittoriosa