The Malta Independent
It is a cruel reality that faced by over forty fives who are declared redundant.` Whether this happens because the economy is slowing down or whether it happens because with the re-structuring process which supposedly is going on, certain economic units cannot survive in the new rules of the game, reality for those effected remains grim.
`Especially for those who spent a working life-time, sometimes twenty years or more, with a single employer and thus in command of very narrow and often useless skills, the chances of finding new employment are dismally low`
Especially for those who spent a working life-time, sometimes twenty years or more, with a single employer and thus in command of very narrow and often useless skills, the chances of finding new employment are dismally low. The same reality often applies to construction workers who at the age of fifty and over do not remain fit for the hard exigencies demanded by the nature of their work.
A public sector that is already burdened by a large unproductive sector can offer no solution to this problem. In fact it is scandalous that the public sector, is still inventing jobs for the boys and such companies as Freeport, Air Malta, MIA, ETC and central government itself are still taking on new employees.
This can only be dangerous short-termism to saves blushes for the incumbent government but complicates the real problem to the whole nation making a real lasting solution that much more difficult and distant.
This is typical of why the government can think only of the EU solution to solve our problems. The EU is considered as the external agent necessary to protect us from ourselves; to discipline us where we do not have the courage to do what`s good for the country and not just what is politically expedient for the party in office.
There would be a high price to pay for our faults. If we admit that we cannot manage ourselves then we are admitting that we do not deserve to be a sovereign state and that we need to form part of a much larger organism to save us from self-destruction.
`If we admit that we cannot manage ourselves then we are admitting that we do not deserve to be a sovereign state and that we need to form part of a much larger organism to save us from self-destruction`
It ought to be otherwise. We have what it takes to survive and prosper as an independent entity with an open and vibrant economy. Even tourism on its own, if properly designed and managed, could give us what it takes to earn a decent living in a competitive world. If we re-position our tourism on the marketing message that `what you see in Malta in three days cannot be seen anywhere else` we can tap that tourism sector more suitable to our realities bringing so much more value added. Related to tourism will be educational services, health services and film facility servicing industry.` Together with financial services and light manufacturing we can create job opportunities where even 50 years olds and over, would have more than a fair chance of finding a productive remunerative employment.
If we focus our energies on developing these internal strategies we could start offering opportunities for employees in the public sector to look for more lucrative opportunities in the private sector relieving pressure on recurrent costs of the public sector without lowering its standard of service (which at times could hardly be lower).
Clearly this can only be realised with strong leadership, clear objectives, determined action plans and a massive investment in the continuous re-training of employees both in public and private sector.
The problem is that we continue to waste our limited resources in seeking ready-made off the shelf solution from without when a perfect one is ready from within. Our priorities should focus on solving our own internal problems.` EU membership can wait till we are strong enough to take a smart national decision about it.
Alfred Mifsud
It is a cruel reality that faced by over forty fives who are declared redundant.` Whether this happens because the economy is slowing down or whether it happens because with the re-structuring process which supposedly is going on, certain economic units cannot survive in the new rules of the game, reality for those effected remains grim.
`Especially for those who spent a working life-time, sometimes twenty years or more, with a single employer and thus in command of very narrow and often useless skills, the chances of finding new employment are dismally low`
Especially for those who spent a working life-time, sometimes twenty years or more, with a single employer and thus in command of very narrow and often useless skills, the chances of finding new employment are dismally low. The same reality often applies to construction workers who at the age of fifty and over do not remain fit for the hard exigencies demanded by the nature of their work.
A public sector that is already burdened by a large unproductive sector can offer no solution to this problem. In fact it is scandalous that the public sector, is still inventing jobs for the boys and such companies as Freeport, Air Malta, MIA, ETC and central government itself are still taking on new employees.
This can only be dangerous short-termism to saves blushes for the incumbent government but complicates the real problem to the whole nation making a real lasting solution that much more difficult and distant.
This is typical of why the government can think only of the EU solution to solve our problems. The EU is considered as the external agent necessary to protect us from ourselves; to discipline us where we do not have the courage to do what`s good for the country and not just what is politically expedient for the party in office.
There would be a high price to pay for our faults. If we admit that we cannot manage ourselves then we are admitting that we do not deserve to be a sovereign state and that we need to form part of a much larger organism to save us from self-destruction.
`If we admit that we cannot manage ourselves then we are admitting that we do not deserve to be a sovereign state and that we need to form part of a much larger organism to save us from self-destruction`
It ought to be otherwise. We have what it takes to survive and prosper as an independent entity with an open and vibrant economy. Even tourism on its own, if properly designed and managed, could give us what it takes to earn a decent living in a competitive world. If we re-position our tourism on the marketing message that `what you see in Malta in three days cannot be seen anywhere else` we can tap that tourism sector more suitable to our realities bringing so much more value added. Related to tourism will be educational services, health services and film facility servicing industry.` Together with financial services and light manufacturing we can create job opportunities where even 50 years olds and over, would have more than a fair chance of finding a productive remunerative employment.
If we focus our energies on developing these internal strategies we could start offering opportunities for employees in the public sector to look for more lucrative opportunities in the private sector relieving pressure on recurrent costs of the public sector without lowering its standard of service (which at times could hardly be lower).
Clearly this can only be realised with strong leadership, clear objectives, determined action plans and a massive investment in the continuous re-training of employees both in public and private sector.
The problem is that we continue to waste our limited resources in seeking ready-made off the shelf solution from without when a perfect one is ready from within. Our priorities should focus on solving our own internal problems.` EU membership can wait till we are strong enough to take a smart national decision about it.
Alfred Mifsud
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