L-UE għandha tagħti aktar prijorità lil kwistjonijiet ta’ faqar fix-xogħol

Fi stqarrija wara li vvota favur rapport dwar it-tnaqqis tal-inugwaljanzi b’enfasi speċjali fuq il-faqar fix-xogħol, Alfred Sant insista li huwa essenzjali li jsir dibattitu strutturat fil-livell tal-UE dwar dan is-settur.

It-tfassil tal-politika tal-UE ilha għal żmien twil wisq twarrab fil-ġenb kwistjonijiet ta’ faqar, u effettivament tipprovdilhom biss attenzjoni sekondarja fil-kuntest ta’ proposti maġġuri, jekk xejn.

Sadanittant, l-UE qed tiffaċċja t-tieni kriżi ekonomika kbira f’perjodu qasir ħafna. Dan qed jirriżulta fit-tkabbir tal-inugwaljanzi u l-faqar, aggravati minn livell għoli ta’ impjiegi prekarji u ta’ kwalità baxxa.

Barra minn hekk, il-fatt li tfaċċa xogħol imwettaq permezz ta’ pjattaformi teknologiċi qed tiggrava s-sitwazzjoni għal ħafna li qed jidħlu fis-suq tax-xogħol.

Alfred Sant żied li s-sistema t’awsterità li mmarkat it-tfassil tal-politika ewlenijas tal-UE f’dawn l-aħħar għoxrin sena lanqas ma għen.

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The EU should give more priority to in-work poverty issues 

In a statement after voting in favour of a report on reducing inequalities with a special focus on in-work poverty, Alfred Sant insisted it is essential that an EU-level structured debate on this sector take place.

EU policy-making has been for too long side-lining poverty issues, effectively providing them with only a secondary focus in major proposals, if at all.

In the meantime, the EU is facing a second major economic crisis in a very short period. This is resulting in the growth of inequalities and poverty, worsened by a high level of precarious and low-quality jobs. 

Furthermore, the emergence of work undertaken via online platforms is worsening the situation for many entering the labour market. 

Alfred Sant added that the austerity approach featured in major EU policy-making for the last two decades did not help either.