The Communist Party calls on the Maltese Government to reduce the price of gas

The Communist Party calls on the Maltese Government to introduce measures to reduce the price of gas for domestic use. The Party notes that the removal of subsidies and liberalization in the distribution of gas resulted in massive increases in the price leading to more social inequality and higher profits to the private sector.

“The Party insists on measures to ensure that gas price is reasonably priced to crerate a situation where low-income families are able to use this essential energy regularly, as other families that are “comfortable”. NSO statistics shows that 87% of Maltese households make use of gas. This proves that gas usage is essential. The situation is critical when statistics show that 56,000 persons, or one in seven of the population, cannot afford to heat their house.”

“The Government’s policy on energy is an anti-social one, and nobody can deny that this policy is increasing social inequalities in society, between the haves and the have-nots. The Party stresses that the policy of subsidies is not an inducment to waste. On the contrary it protects the disadvantaged if operated in a just manner. Taking Argentina as an example among many others, The Kirchner government distinguish between what is gas for domestic use and what is for commercial or industrial use. The Party stresses that the taxation system should be one that favours social justice and not increase inequality. to The party also notes that globally the price of gas for domestic use is, in large part, subsidized”.

The Communist Party of Malta therefore reiterates that “it will continue to work so the social aspect in the basic use of energy is given priority by the political class".

The Communist Party of Malta shows solidarity with Somali refugees.

The Communist Party of Malta shows its solidarity with the Somali refugees who recently fled from Libya to Malta. The Party understands the unhappy situations that they had undergone in Libya, where several reports have shown that people of African nationality were victims of racial hatred, both during the civil war, as well as today.

“The evacuation of persons of foreign nationality during the civil war in Libya was discriminatory towards persons of African nationalities, and as a consequence many of them were killed.”

The Communist Party believes that the policy of detention of refugees does not honour those who proclaim themselves champions of human rights. The people of Somalia are suffering from famine, lack of clean water and, of medicines. According to the latest United Nations reports, there is an exodus of around one million Somalis to other countries.

The Party calls upon the Maltese Government to protect the rights of these disadvantaged people, victims of capitalist policies, which brought upon them war, poverty and famine.

The Communist Party of Malta on the visit by USS Whidbey.

The Communist Party of Malta is once again noting the flagrant violation of the Maltese Constitution by the present Administration. The visit to Malta of the American warship USS Whidbey is a clear evidence of how the neutrality clause is being violated.

“This U.S. war vessel was directly involved in the 'illegal' War against Iraq. This War had the support of several imperialist countries, including the USA, England and France, with the support of other satellite countries which comprised of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain and others. This war did not have the approval of the United Nations.”

The Party sees the consensus reached by the two major parties as a threat to the Maltese Constitution, to amend and to review the neutrality clause, with the main aim to adhere to imperialist policies.

The Communists affirms that “the policy of neutrality should be further strengthened, so that no Administration would find any excuse to engage Malta in a conflict. Neutrality should serve Malta to work for a peaceful agreement in conflicts and for humanitarian aid”.

Solidarity with Greek trade unionists

The Communist Party of Malta expressed solidarity with Nikos Photopoulos, Trade Union leader of GENOP / DEI, and six other colleagues, who are under trial for their full participation in the ‘sit in strike’ protests, held last November at the general headquarters of the Public Corporation for Computing, against the Government’s decision to impose austerity measures and job redundancies.

“The Party believes that Trade Unions have every right to defend and safeguard worker’s rights and conditions. Dismantling of this right means the resurgence in Europe of the fascist era, where workers and leaders where put in prison. This happened under Franco’s regime in Spain, Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, and Chile under Pinochet”.

“European and Greek workers have every right to refuse to pay for the economical fiasco made by others. The Communist Party of Malta joins with other communists and worker’s organisations to condemn the actions taken by the Greek authorities in the prosecution of the trade union movement. These workers are facing a prison sentence of 5 to 10 years”.

The Communist Party criticises the economic policies of the EU.

The Communist Party of Malta condemns the attitude that is being taken by the European Union where every day it is distancing itself from the path to a Social Europe. The creation of regular and decent jobs and the social protection for pensioners and the unemployed are no longer on the European agenda.

“The corporate model, which in history was associated with Italian fascism, where the Unions were forced to participate in the social and economic fora, is leading to the dismantling of worker’s rights. They are also deceiving the Trade Unions claiming that by leaving the system in the control of the European institutions, better social policies and more democracy will result.

“The fact is that with the fall of the Soviet Union, the EU felt that any left wing counterforce has vanished, thus neo liberal policies became triumphant and is increasingly exploiting the workers and threatening people’s sovereignty.”

“EU priorities are for a reduction in labour costs, dismantling of social policies and the privatisation of statal pension systems. Employers are also demanding more direct tax cuts and are also refusing to contribute towards the sustainability of the Welfare State System”.

“The Communist Party of Malta maintains that a Europe of Capital has always existed, while there was never a Social Europe. In fact, the European Social Charter was never put into practice. Today the European Union is finding ways and means to retreat from the concept of a Social Europe. In Latin America, neo liberalism has been successfully dismantled.