The 2027 Budget presented by the Government was characterised by both measures and discourse that unfairly target foreign workers, often an extremely vulnerable and least wealthy group. They are among those most at risk of poverty and social exclusion, employment abuse, and even injury and death at the workplace.

As organisations working in the social and cultural fields, we are already painfully aware of the inequality and discrimination experienced by foreign workers in Malta. Yet, this Budget represents a shocking leap towards a country that officially segregates people on the basis of their nationality. Forcing third-country nationals (TCNs) to pay for basic services that are free for others, placing a particularly heavy burden on families with children, while also denying them employment rights enjoyed by other workers, is deeply unjust and simply unjustifiable.

This is an affront to social justice that inflicts pain on the targeted workers, as well as on their Maltese friends, partners and colleagues. We also question the legality of such measures in terms of conformity with the Constitution and relevant EU law on non-discrimination and rights of workers.

The situation is all the more absurd considering that it was this same Government that built an economic model based on the labour of foreign workers, bringing in thousands of workers to fill mostly low-paid jobs created by its policy of unsustainable economic growth. In effect, the anti-worker measures unveiled in the Budget will do nothing to reduce the rate at which our country requires an ever-increasing number of workers to satisfy the demands of an ever-growing economy. They will simply force the least wealthy in our society to pay much more.

After years of giving the impression that money was no problem thanks to a strong economy, the Government is now squeezing those who can least afford it, while pandering to racist and xenophobic sentiments, simply because these workers have no vote and little political or social power.

The disastrous impact of such policies does not stop at the material hardship inflicted on migrant workers. These measures also entrench and take to an extreme a social model based on division and exploitation, in which a large class of workers is treated as little more than a resource to be exploited, with their rights and dignity disregarded at will. This will lead to even greater marginalisation of foreign workers and the uglification of Maltese society.

We strongly urge the Government to reverse these unfair, anti-worker measures and instead start working towards a just and sustainable economic model in which workers’ rights and dignity come before the insatiable pursuit of profits.

Organisations
Aditus Foundation
African Media Association Malta
Association for Justice, Equality and Peace
Blue Door Education
Dance Beyond Borders
Dar Merħba Bik Foundation
Dean – Faculty of Education
Fondazzjoni Sebħ
Friends of the Earth Malta
Ġustizzja għall-Palestina
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta
Kopin
LGBTI+ Gozo
Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA)
Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM)
Maltese Association of Social Workers
Migrant Women Association Malta
Moviment Graffitti
PEN Malta
Solidarjetà
SOS Malta
TCN Alliance
Victim Support Malta
Women’s Rights Foundation

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Baġit Soċjalment Inġust u Kontra l-Ħaddiema

Il-Baġit tal-2027 ippreżentat mill-Gvern kien ikkaratterizzat kemm minn miżuri kif ukoll minn diskors li jattakkaw lill-ħaddiema barranin, ta’ spiss wieħed mill-aktar gruppi vulnerabbli u l-anqas sinjuri fis-soċjetà tagħna. Dawn huma fost l-aktar nies esposti għar-riskju ta’ faqar u esklużjoni soċjali, abbużi fid-dinja tax-xogħol, u saħansitra korrimenti u mewt fuq il-post tax-xogħol.

Bħala organizzazzjonijiet li jaħdmu fil-qasam soċjali u kulturali, aħna diġà konxji bl-uġigħ li jesperjenzaw il-ħaddiema barranin minħabba l-inugwaljanza u d-diskriminazzjoni f’Malta. Madankollu, dan il-Baġit jirrappreżenta qabża xokkanti għal pajjiż li uffiċjalment se jkun qed jissegrega lin-nies abbażi tan-nazzjonalità tagħhom. Li ġġiegħel liċ-ċittadini ta’ pajjiżi terzi (TCNs) iħallsu għal servizzi bażiċi li huma bla ħlas għal nies oħra, u li tpoġġi piż partikolarment tqil fuq familji bit-tfal, filwaqt li ċċaħħadhom ukoll mid-drittijiet tax-xogħol li jgawdu ħaddiema oħra, huwa inkredibbilment inġust u sempliċement mhux ġustifikabbli.

Dan huwa attakk fuq il-ġustizzja soċjali li jikkaġuna wġigħ lil dawn il-ħaddiema, kif ukoll lill-ħbieb, il-partners u l-kollegi Maltin tagħhom. Aħna nistaqsu wkoll jekk dak kollu huwiex legali, u jekk jikkonformax mal-Kostituzzjoni u mal-liġijiet tal-UE dwar in-non-diskriminazzjoni u d-drittjiet tal-ħaddiema.

Is-sitwazzjoni hija aktar assurda meta wieħed iqis li kien dan l-istess Gvern li bena mudell ekonomiku bbażat fuq ix-xogħol ta’ ħaddiema barranin, billi ġab eluf ta’ ħaddiema jaħdmu fl-iktar impjiegi bi ħlas baxx li nħolqu bil-politika tiegħu ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku li mhuwiex sostenibbli. Fil-fatt, il-miżuri kontra l-ħaddiema żvelati fil-Baġit mhu se jagħmlu xejn biex inaqqsu r-rata li biha pajjiżna qed ikollu bżonn numru dejjem akbar ta’ ħaddiema biex jissodisfa t-talbiet ekonomiċi dejjem jiżdiedu. Il-miżuri sempliċement se jġiegħlu lil min hu l-inqas sinjur fis-soċjetà tagħna jħallas ħafna aktar.

Wara snin jagħti l-impressjoni li m’hemmx problemi ta’ flus grazzi għall-ekonomija b’saħħitha li għandna, il-Gvern issa qed jagħfas lil dawk li l-inqas jistgħu jaffordjaw, filwaqt li jissodisfa sentimenti razzisti u xenofobu, sempliċement għax dawn il-ħaddiema m’għandhomx vot jew wisq poter politiku u soċjali.

L-impatt diżastruż ta’ dawn il-politiki ma jiqafx biss mat-tbatija materjali li se jġarrbu l-ħaddiema migranti. Dawn il-miżuri jsaħħu wkoll u jamplifilaw b’mod estrem mudell soċjali bbażat fuq il-firda u l-isfruttament, li bih klassi kbira ta’ ħaddiema tiġi trattata biss bħala riżorsa li għandha tiġi sfruttata, bid-drittijiet u d-dinjità tagħha injorati. Dan se jwassal għal marġinalizzazzjoni saħansitra akbar tal-ħaddiema barranin u problemi fis-soċjetà Maltija.

Inħeġġu bil-qawwa lill-Gvern ireġġa’ lura dawn il-miżuri inġusti kontra l-ħaddiema u minflok jibda jaħdem għal mudell ekonomiku ġust u sostenibbli li permezz tiegħu d-drittijiet u d-dinjità tal-ħaddiema jiġu qabel it-tfittxija bla waqfien tal-profitti.

Għaqdiet
Aditus Foundation
African Media Association Malta
Association for Justice, Equality and Peace
Blue Door Education
Dance Beyond Borders
Dar Merħba Bik Foundation
Dean – Faculty of Education
Fondazzjoni Sebħ
Friends of the Earth Malta
Ġustizzja għall-Palestina
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta
Kopin
LGBTI+ Gozo
Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA)
Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM)
Maltese Association of Social Workers
Migrant Women Association Malta
Moviment Graffitti
PEN Malta
Solidarjetà
SOS Malta
TCN Alliance
Victim Support Malta
Women’s Rights Foundation