When he visited the General Soft Drinks factory, the Prime Minister met with the workers on the work floor and with them he discussed various themes, as well as their ideas and proposals. This discussion continued with an extensive meeting with the leadership of the General Workers’ Union (GWU), who are the representatives of the same workers.
When he sat down with the workers, the Prime Minister listened to the thoughts of the workers themselves who, among others, pointed out how much continuous training helps them in the workplace and helps them look at a career instead of just a job.
The subject of skills was also discussed in the light of the proposals for the 2024 Budget put forward by the GWU including measures in favor of improving the quality of the Maltese and Gozitan tourist product linked to the skills of hospitality workers.
Regarding this proposal, last week the Cabinet of Ministers took an important decision so that tourism workers who are really needed in Malta must first go through a specific course before being given permission to work.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne, the Minister for the Economy, European Funds and Lands Silvio Schembri and the Parliamentary Secretary for Dialogue Andy Ellul were also present at the meeting with the GWU.
Here the Prime Minister Robert Abela reiterated the Government’s commitment that the Budget continues to weigh and support workers and their families wisely and strengthening an economy based on quality. Prime Minister Abela mentioned the Government’s commitment to continue supporting aid to curb inflation as much as possible. He said the Government will continue to give help in favor of stability in energy prices which gives peace of mind and certainty not only to the workers but also to the businesses, which employ the workers. This is in the context of a strong labor market in our country where the employment rate is almost five times higher than the average and the lowest unemployment rate in the Eurozone.
“We are meeting in the context of a forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the largest economic growth in Europe and the latest credit rating by DBRS Morningstar which once again gave the highest rating to the Maltese economy, ” emphasized Prime Minister Abela and he noted that Malta must continue to have a strong economy to continue with the transition of important forces, ie environmental and digital together with the support of common good measures.
Photos: OPM
