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
