Societal leaders aim to improve the society they serve by promoting the principles of solidarity among the community. Politicians are arguably the most potent agents of change in society.
Still, they often fail to point out what needs to be done to promote more fairness to ensure that the strong do not trample on the rights of the weak. It is, therefore, refreshing when other societal leaders act as the voice of conscience in our society.
Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma did not mince his words in his homily on the feast of our Lady of Loreto in Għajnsielem.
He warned that some people in Gozo are taking salaries for jobs they only show up for briefly. He argued: “There are workers in Gozo who are paid for work they do not do. They go to work for a few minutes – or, not to exaggerate, for a few hours – and they leave to do another job.”
Skiving is an endemic abuse that is common in Malta and Gozo. It is an assault on honest people’s rights to the judicious use of their taxes to improve public services, including health, physical infrastructure, public services and education.
In the last several decades, various political administrations have closed their eyes to this abuse.
They often use their power of incumbency to refrain from acting against those citizens who barter their votes for impunity from criminal consequences of abuse.
The rock base of this feudal political system has other elements. Far too many people work for the government in jobs that are not essential.
Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma did not mince his words in his homily on the feast of our Lady of Loreto in Għajnsielem. File Photo: Times of Malta
Yet, the government has to import foreign workers to ensure that our hospitals have the necessary medical staff to operate, our garbage is collected regularly, and our schools are maintained. The problem of the failed human resources strategy in the public sector has reached a crisis level in the last decade.
The government has been unable to show inspirational leadership by speaking out clearly against phantom public sector jobs and skiving.
Bishop Teuma acted as the voice of the community’s social conscience when he said: “I have no right to get paid if, instead of serving you, I seek to serve my interests off your back. I have no right to be paid for anything I acquired deceitfully.”
Sadly, many honest citizens have lost faith in the ability of the main political parties to set up a framework of integrity in public governance. Integrity means always doing what is right.
This principle of good governance puts an onerous obligation on all public servants, from the highest-paid public officials to the least-paid.
Unsurprisingly, many feel that the current political system built on clientelism, bartering votes for undeserved privileges, mediocre political leadership and failure to explain to the people the hard work needed to improve the system will lead to the further erosion of democracy.
Bishop Teuma is correct in pointing out that some families obsessed with making more money fail in their parental duties by not spending enough time with their children in the delicate years of their upbringing.
Other societal leaders must follow the example of the Gozo bishop.
They must act as the voice of conscience, especially when politicians continue to practice transactional leadership rather than inspire people to act with integrity at all times to promote social solidarity.