NEWS | Wednesday, 25 July 2007

Social partners cautious about pre-Budget document

The social partners were generally cautious in their reactions to the pre-Budget document presented by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi last Saturday as they still had to analyse the contents of the 155-page document.
General Workers’ Union (GWU) Secretary-General Tony Zarb said that the pre-Budget document contains “interesting proposals which one has to see how they will be implemented”.
Among these proposals there are some on which the GWU has been insisting for many years, such as the training of workers, the conditions of part-time employees and the granting of the full Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) to pensioners, Zarb said.
“The GWU has been insisting for a lot of time that the time has come to alleviate the burden that was saddled on workers, their families and pensioners as their purchasing power is constantly plummetting.
“On our part we will be discussing this document both internally as well as within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) where we will also be making our proposals.
“It is positive to have a pre-Budget document as one will know the general lines on which one can make and build one’s proposals,” the GWU Secretary-General told BusinessToday.
BusinessToday also contacted Gejtu Vella, Secretary-General of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM), who said he had not yet read the pre-budget document, telling us he would call us back with his comments.
Vella did not keep his word and attempts to reach him were proved futile.
The Federation of Industry (FOI) would not comment on the pre-Budget document as Director-General Ray Muscat was abroad. An FOI spokesperson told BusinessToday yesterday that they needed to have the questions at least 24 hours in advance before commenting.

Contacted by this newspaper, MEA Director General Joe Farrugia was also tight lipped when asked for the MEA’s reactions regarding the pre-budget document. Farrugia simply stated the MEA is to hold a meeting shortly during which the pre-budget document will be discussed.
The Director General continued the MEA will issue a press release to the media in the coming days.
A spokesperson for the Malta Chamber of Commerce (CoC) told Business Today that the Chamber was satisfied that once again, government had made public its proposals for next year’s Budget – and in ample time.
“This is a positive exercise in consultation which will surely lead to better collaboration and discussion both within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD), as well as in other public fora such as the media.
“The Chamber’s first reaction to the large number of proposals included is quite positive. We are currently going through the document and are consulting our various Trade Sections internally to react to it, in order to be ready for when the consultations kick off,” he said.
MUMN secretary-general Colin Galea told BusinessToday that proposals regarding health care and Mater Dei Hospital were still in the process of being discussed with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
When asked as regards to the Pre-Budget Document released this year, Galea said: “Conclusive facts are not yet being released to the public although we should have positive outcomes concerning migration of various departments.”
When requested to comment on Child Care facilities, Galea responded: “It is one of the many topics being discussed. We are hoping to organise affirmative solutions to any problems that have arisen.”
Final decisions are not yet available, but the MUMN secretary-general concluded by saying: “More will be revealed by the end of the week.”
Medical Association of Malta (MAM) secretary-general Martin Balzan was also contacted, however he said he could not comment as he had not yet read the document.