Recovery plan needed for job creation - Sant

Opposition leader Alfred Sant said yesterday that the dismissal of 240 workers by VF Malta was confirmation of the economic and social crisis the country was going through.

Speaking at a Labour Party activity at Siggiewi, Dr Sant recalled that during the referendum and electoral campaigns, he had mentioned VF as one of the companies whose workers should ask the management about their future prospects. At the time he was ridiculed and the management had said the future was good.

Now that the dismissals had been announced, the government and its supporters were blaming globalisation for what had happened. But the time of deception was past, and all had to face up to the reality that the country under PN government had run out of the energy needed to create work.

The manufacturing sector alone had shed 1,100 jobs between August 2002 and 2003, and these losses had since continued to grow. But the government, instead of coming out with an economic recovery plan, was only bent on boasting about the EU.

What was worse was that the problem was not restricted to the manufacturing sector but was also being felt in tourism. And in public finances, public debt last year rose by some Lm200 million. The government, to keep up with its spending, was only seeking to raise taxes, which further dimished the possibilities of new investment. Even the agriculture sector was facing problems, despite the spectacular promises that had been made.

Dr Sant said the Labour Party would continue to insist on the need for a serious recovery plan for job creation and would work with and support all those sectors "of good will" for this purpose.

Dr Sant expressed his solidarity with the workers dismissed by VF Malta and others facing a similar experience.