Ħaddiema barranin

Ċifri li rajt dan l-aħħar dwar kemm jinsabu ħaddiema barranin f’Malta skantawni. Kont naf li żdiedu sew, imma mhux daqshekk.
Fis-sena 2004, il-barranin li jaħdmu fostna kienu f’persentaġġ ta’ 2.6 fil-mija tal-ħaddiema kollha fl-ekonomija tagħna. Fl-2010, diċ-ċifra telgħet għal 6.1 fil-mija. Sal-2016, laħqet 16.6 fil-mija.
Il-kategorija ta’ impjieg fejn hemm l-aqwa persentaġġ ta’ ħaddiema barranin hi dik tal-“managers”: 23.3 fil-mija fis-sena 2016. Warajha jiġu dawk tal-ħaddiema klerikali jew f’pożizzjoni ta’ għajnuna amministrattiva (17.7 fil-mija) u ta’ nies tekniċi u f’karigi ta’ appoġġ lill-professjonisti (17.4 fil-mija). Imma fl-ebda kategorija ta’ impjieg is-sehem ta’ ħaddiema barranin mhu ta’ anqas minn 10 fil-mija, tneħħi l-biedja u s-sajd (5.2 fil-mija).
B’mod ġenerali, terz mill-ħaddiema barranin huma minn barra l-Unjoni Ewropea (l-aktar f’impjiegi ta’ valur “baxx”) u żewġ terzi mill-Unjoni (l-aktar f’impjiegi ta’ valur “għoli” u fit-turiżmu).
Din l-istampa turi kemm l-ekonomija Maltija saret dipendenti fuq ix-xogħol tal-barranin. M’għandniex inkomplu nagħlqu għajnejna għal dan l-iżvilupp.
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REPUTAZZJONI
Il-ġrajjiet serji u t-trawma nazzjonali tal-aħħar ġimgħa jirrekjedu żewġ risposti: sforz qawwi u bla waqfien, biex tinstab il-verità u ssir ġustizzja; u sforz qawwi wkoll biex ir-reputazzjoni ta’ Malta tkun imħarsa – għax qalgħet daqqa qawwija.
Konvint li l-ewwel ħidma se titwettaq bla ebda riżerva.
It-tieni waħda wkoll se tkun diffiċli. Meta jkun xtered l-għajdut, diffiċli tiġbdu lura. Aktar u aktar meta donnu uħud fil-binja nazzjonali għandhom interess vestit li jeżaġeraw u jispekulaw biex joħolqu riflessi koroh. Għal fejn ikunu jridu jwasslu diffiċli tgħid. L-istess nies, b’li jgħidu u jagħmlu, ikunu qed iħammġu wkoll lilhom infushom.
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BTALA RUMANA
Rajt films ta’ Billy Wilder li snin ilu, kien mitqies bħala maestro taċ-ċinema Amerikan; forsi għadu. Imma kont insejt il-mod ferrieħi u ħafif li bih imexxi r-rakkont li jipproponilek. Waqt li tagħraf kemm ix-xenarju li qed itella’ xi kultant qed jiġġebbed wisq, xorta tibqa’ mehdi bl-istorja tiegħu.
Talanqas hekk ġrali b’“Roman Holiday” li nħadem fis-sena 1953. Audrey Hepburn kellha l-parti ta’ prinċipessa li qed tagħmel żjara statali fil-Belt Eterna. Taħrab għal rasha bla ħadd ma jaf fejn marret, biex tiskopri x’hemm lil hinn mil-laqgħat formali. Jidħol biex jieħu ħsiebha ġurnalist Amerikan stazzjonat f’Ruma, Gregory Peck. Meta jsir jaf min hi, waqt li jakkumpanjaha f’dawra durella turistika, jirranġa biex jieħu ritratti tal-avventuri tagħhom. Wara jkun jista’ jbiegħhom bi gwadann kbir.
Hu film maħdum tajjeb ħafna. Xejn aħjar minnu biex tqatta l-ħin fuq titjira ta’ billejl li tkun telqet tard.

English Version – Foreign workers

Figures I saw recently about foreign wokers in Malta were surprising. I knew they had increased, but hardly to this extent.

In the year 2004, foreign workers accounted for 2.6 per cent of the total workforce in the local economy. By 2010, this figure had reached 6.1 per cent. In 2016, it stood at 16.6 per cent.

The highest percentage of foreign workers is found in the managerial category: 23.3 per cent of the total in that category for the year 2016. Next to it come clerks and support workers (17.7 per cent) and technicians and associated professionals (17.4 per cent). However, in no employment category is the share of foreign workers less than 10 per cent, excepting agriculture and fisheries (5.2 per cent).

Generally speaking , one third of foreign workers come from outside the EU (mainly in lower value jobs) and the rest from the Union, mostly in higher value and tourism related jobs.

The picture demonstrates how dependent the Maltese economy has become on foreign workers. We cannot afford to ignore any more this state of affairs.

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Reputation

The serious events and the national trauma of the past week require two responses: a strong and incessant effort for the truth to be discovered and for justice to be carried out; as well as a strong effort to safeguard Malta’s reputation – the latter has been greatly damaged.

I am convinced that the first exercise will be followed through, no holds barred.

The second objective too will be very difficult to achieve. When negative claims have rolled around, it is difficult to roll them back. Even less so can this be done successfully when within the national profile, some sectors seem to have a vested interest in exaggerating and speculating in order to trigger negative rebounds. What they would like to achieve is difficult to say. With what they do and say, the same people are ending up also undermining their own reputation.

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Roman holiday

I watched Billy Wilder movies years ago, when he was considered a luminary of American cinema; perhaps he still is. But I had forgotten how cheerful and light his touch could be in guiding forward the story he has chosen to present. Even when you realize how the plot out of which he is working sometimes does get rather artificial, you’re still hooked.

At least, that’s what happened to me with “Roman Holiday” which dates from 1953. Audrey Hepburn plays the part of a princess on a state visit to the Eternal City. She goes awol to discover what lies beyond the boring formal occasions she’s meant to preside. Nobody knows where she is. Enter, to look after her, Gregory Peck as a journalist stationed in Rome. Then, he realizes who she is. While accompanying her on a touristic romp around Rome, he arranges to have their adventures photographed. The idea is that he could later sell the photos for a good profit.

The film is an extremely good production. I can’t think of anything better to make time fly on a night flight that’s taken off late.