European Communist Meeting 2015

Recent activities of the Communst Party of Malta.

Address by Victor Degiovanni. Secretary 

Firstly I woul d like to thank the Communist Party of Greece for convening this meeting and for giving European Communist and Workers Parties space to address this meeting

The Communist Party although being a small party is active in various fieldwork on diverse problems arising mainly from the Neo-Liberal policies of the two major political parties existing in Malta Problems dealing with environmental issues due to land speculations. Immigration, that offers several problems, and a struggle against low wages and precarious employment.

The political scene in Malta leaves much to be desired. After a 25 year rule of the centre right Nationalist Party which was disastrous for the working class as unemployment soared to higher levels than normal while the administration was only concerned in reaching the targets set by the EU to put Malta’s economy on track. The employment that was being introduced under this administration was short time contracts jobs, agency workers and other types of precarious work. This new kind of work offers no stability to the workers, especially to the young workers who will need loans from banks to start a family.

In 2013 there was an administration change and a “Blairite” type of Social Democrats came into power. Although on outset they offered hope that they will be more progressive then the previous bunch, they eventually proved themselves to be of same stock In the three years they had been power little has been done to stop precarious employment. So far there was plenty of hot air, and yet no concrete action has been taken. The foreign policy of this administration is a far cry from the Dom Mintoff administration of the 1970’s, they are more pro-EU than the previous administration and openly support US policies.

Immigration in Malta has been a major problem since the mid 1980’s. In Malta Immigration comes mostly from the sub-Sahara belt of the African Continent, Eritreans, Somalis, Nigerians, and from other neighbouring countries, although recently there was an influx of Libyans Moroccans, and from other North African countries Also we get eastern Europeans like Romanians, Serbs and Croats almost all come with a Bulgarian passport, which makes their stay in Malta unnoticed as they come in through the legal channels.

The African immigrants when they arrive in boats are taken to a detention centre where. They are held incommunicado for a year and after they are sent to live in an open centre and when they can support themselves are allowed to leave this centre to supposedly integrate with the local community. This is not progressing as it should;

Most of the Maltese workers resent them and see them as threat to their employment.

 Contractors prefer employing them as they pay them less than they would have to pay a Maltese employee.

 Most of the jobs available for them are on building sites, street cleaners, Rubbish collectors, and other such menial work for which they are poorly paid.

 Work that was regularly done by the illiterate strata of Maltese workers is now is being given to emigrants.

Thus Racism is on the rise in Malta and some extreme right wing groups are getting support from this strata of Maltese society. The Party which gives support to these emigrants is seen in bad light by these workers

The Party has been active and participating on initiatives organised by a left wing NGO called “Garden of Knowledge” The Party participated with speakers in a number of Seminars organised by this NGO and on some occasions the activity was co-organised between the Party and Garden of Knowledge. These activities covered aspects dealing with Chile Venezuela Palestine Libya and anti-Islamism. Another NGO which the party collaborated with was the Clean Food Movement NGO where the party took part in activities against the introduction of GMOs in Europe. The Party.is also involved in a committee which is making the public aware of the dangers of TTIP one such activity was setting up a large Trojan horse in Valletta and in other parts of Malta. This Trojan horse was brought to Malta by the “Friends of the Earth” NGO.

The Party is also involved in a committee that is active to put pressure on Malta’s leading Trade Unions to fight precariousness with an and also with a newly formed NGO  called “Front Helsien ODZ” meaning “Front for the preservation of Outside Development Zone legislation” a group to preserve environment