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

“Malta should remain Neutral” – Communist Party of Malta.

 

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to The Government not to involve Malta in the conflict that is taking place in Syria which is the result of imperialism.

 

“The international community should condemn all those countries that finance and military support terrorists groups like ISIS with the aim to destabilize regimes that do not adhere to the imperialist diktat. As communists we strongly condemn the acts of terror committed by ISIS in Paris, Beirut, and other cities”.  

 

“With regards to the appeal made by Francois Holland, President of the French Republic for military support from all EU member states, under the article 42.7 of the EU Treaty, the Party states that this act of terrorism was not a military invasion. Also the Maltese Constitution literally forbids Malta from taking sides and should remain neutral”.

 

EU-Africa Summit on Migration – “Communists call for the demilitarisation in Africa”.

 

The Communist Party of Malta stated that “the EU-African Summit on Migration taking place in Malta totally violates the principle of participatory democracy. International organisations working in Africa and others taking care of the well being of irregular or assisted immigrants are kept out from contributing to this conference. We express solidarity with all these organizations”.

 

“With respect to the summit, the Communist Party of Malta urges all State participants to radically alter the way the International Monetary Fund and the WTO operate with respect to Africa. The policies prescribed by the World Bank and IMF have increased poverty in the African continent. Also people in Africa are not benefiting from the exploitation of Africa national resources by private companies”, stated the Communist Party of Malta.

 

“With regards to wars and conflict, the Party appeals all European countries to work towards the demilitarization in Africa, especially to stop the flow of arms to militant groups in Africa”.

 

The Day Against Fascism.

 

 

The Communist Party of Malta states "that all progressive and left wing forces in Malta should join forces against the rise of fascism in Europe. The popularity of extreme right wing parties is on the rise especially in eastern European countries.

 

The Communist Party condemns the EU stance on the events that took place in Ukraine, were undemocratic extreme right forces found support from European institutions. The position taken by the European Union in support to the coup that had taken place in Ukraine goes totally against the founding principles of the European Union.

 

“With regards to the present civil conflict that is occurring in Ukraine, the Party expressed solidarity with the Communist Party of Ukraine and the just struggles of the people in the Donbass region against the fascist impositions of the Kiev regime”.

Communist Party Malta Address at the 17th IMCWP

Comrade Chairperson, Comrades,

First I would like to thank the Communist Party of Turkey for inviting the CP of Malta to participate in this forum and to offer them solidarity in this moment of their struggles against reactionary forces here in Turkey

Communist and Workers Parties have the responsibility for organising its cadres into a force that will be militant and active on the shop floor and in the trade unions to direct the workers in class struggles against the onslaught waged by the bourgeoisie in an effort to put the clock back and take away the gains made by workers through hard struggles, during the last 100 years or so.

Setbacks that are being perpetrated result directly from the failure of the capitalist system to provide adequately for full employment, and to stave off poverty.  Jobs, that are being offered to today offer no security, as definite short contracts, low wages, and bad conditions of work, in short precarious employment. Precariousness which is resulting from neo-liberal policies is a problem that has to be tackled before we can continue on our revolutionary path.

Communist and workers parties where it is possible should form their own trade unions some parties already do so, to mention one example, PAME which is the leading force in the struggle against austerity that is being imposed by the troika on Greece

The struggle against austerity being imposed by the troika comprising of the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, on European Countries must be in the forefront of all other struggles for parties that are European Union member countries. Also of primary importance for these parties is the struggle against the imposition of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which again is threatening workers’ rights and livelihood

In an effort to globalise the world, and also to impose its’ imperialistic diktat, on small countries. the US has committed countless aggressions. These aggressions were mostly committed with the aid of its’ NATO allies to halt progress peoples’ progress towards social emancipation. Since the Second World War the US had interfered in countless countries in many parts of the world. The US through its covert agencies had been behind many reactionary coups. To mention a few examples, the one against the Mohammad Mosaddegh government in Iran back in 1953 and against Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973 and more recently in Ukraine.

Whenever subversion failed to obtain the desired results the US used its military might was used, as what has happened in former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and now by covert means once again is trying to bring a regime change in Syria which has so far resisted all attempts that US has tried through its Islamic State henchmen which up to now have failed to achieve their goals. Means of improving the ways of making the workers fully conscious of the perils that imperialism is putting on world peace are a must, otherwise another global conflagration is on the US agenda. 

Social democratic parties must be exposed for what they are. They do not really have the worker’s interest at heart and always deceive them to accept the bourgeoisie impositions. A recent example is how SYRIZA has betrayed the workers in Greece. The path of struggle is long and tortuous and no short cuts are possible. Workers must be shown that it would be in their interest to direct their struggle towards the achievement of a classless society, that this is only possible through Socialism and this cannot be done through the polling booths in a system manipulated by the bourgeoisie. They first must see through the bourgeoisie propaganda which does it utmost to confound them then the polling booths can give them a triumph over the capitalist system as the way is then clear for the transformation of Society.

Militancy by the working classes of every country should be synchronised and translated into one struggle in order to defeat Capitalism as a system.  The bourgeoisie are once again is resorting to fascism as they had done in the 1930s  in order to defeat the wave of progressive ideas that are resulting from capitalism’s inability to offer viable solutions against the problems that are affecting the working classes around the world today.

Long live Socialism.

Long Live Marxism Leninism.

An Appeal To the Communist, Workers and Leftist Parties in the World

For many years, the Syrian state and people have been exposed to a fierce terrorist invasion, led by extremist groups came to Syria from more than 80 countries to destroy the infrastructure, and to shed the blood of innocent citizens.

Definitely, these crimes could not be committed without the boundless support granted to the terrorists by the imperial powers of the USA, France, and the UK, and their partners in our region mainly, the Turkish and gulf regimes, the so-called “the international alliance” which hinders all the efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Syria has always warned the international society of the dangers of transforming this terrorism and takfirism – threat, into a regional and international one, and that is happening today in many countries like Iraq, Libya and some European countries.

In spite of the Security Council resolution No 2199, which prohibits the financing of the terrorist groups such as “ISIS” and “Al-Nusra Front”, nevertheless the crimes of these groups are still continuing, killing thousands of civilians. As happened to Al-Sheitat tribe in Deir Al-ZOR and Aleppo province the victims of the terrorist groups were school students, besides the massacre in Tel Tamer the province of Al-Hasaka, the majority of which inhabitants are Assyrians, (the old historically well-known population of the region).

Another crime of takfirist groups committed against humanity is the destruction of ancient monuments in Syria and Iraq and the stealing of artifacts, as we believe the aim of such actions is to efface the history of this region.

Lately, those terrorists commit carnage in Mabuja village near by Salamieh, where more than 60 people were killed at night, followed by invasion of Edleb with a contribution from the Turkish armed forces, in addition to many other crimes done by these groups in many of the Syrian cities and villages.

The Syrian communist party (unified)

Requests all the worker and communist parties and all the progressive powers in the world to denounce the terrorist crimes in Syria as well in Iraq, and to express their solidarity with the Syrian people who is still resist against the crimes and dark ideology of the reactionary powers and their extremist tools, the terrorist organizations, in spite of all kinds of blockades, and economic sanctions imposed against them.

The Syrian people are still looking forward to a democratic, secular future through an inclusive national dialogue, to reach a political solution of the Syrian crisis.

No, to the support of terrorism.

Yes, for solidarity and humanitarian support to Syrian people.

Comradely salute.

Hunein Nemer

General Secretary of

The Syrian Communist Party (Unified)

Budget lacks immediate measures to tackle poverty.

 

The Communist Party of Malta said that Budget 2016 lacks in its vision to give importance to raise the minimum wage, which is essential for many workers who are stacked in precarious employment, such as those on a part-time basis and on a definite contract. On the other hand, the Party welcomes measures that once again exempt workers on a minimum wage income from paying tax.

 

“With regards to the pension reform, the Party stated that the government’s strategy to raise the minimum basic pension to an adequate level by 2027 is positive, but still this does not address the precarious situation of poverty amongst the pensioners today”.

 

“The tax reduction given to workers in the bracket of less than €19,000 is also a positive step, but when compared to the tax rate reduction given to the well-off in the previous budget, the comparisons are odious, as this does not address social inequality”.

 

“On the other hand, The Party welcome measures to tackle exploitation of irregular immigrants and the addressing of abusive work practices in government contracts. The Government should introduce legislation against precarious employment”.