State aid aimed at cushioning the COVID-19 blow should be tied to conditions in the best interests of workers, Moviment Graffitti has argued.

In a statement issued on Workers’ Day, the activist NGO thanked those working around the clock to provide essential services while expressing solidarity with those going through a period of uncertainty or facing exploitation.

Without waiting for the pandemic to be over, Malta could start building a more just economy by ensuring that all COVID-19 aid given to large companies come with certain conditions, the NGO suggested.

These include ensuring the company does not lay off any workers, that employees are given shares in the company and that the company contributes to social welfare by moving some of its non-productive assets (immovable property acquired solely for speculative purposes) under public ownership, Graffitti said.

“The current crisis has made it clear that those with the lowest salaries – health workers, cleaning personnel, waste collectors, drivers and persons involved in food distribution – are those without whom we cannot manage. 

“On the other hand, figures show that over the past 25 years, workers in Malta have seen their share of the economy greatly reduced, with many salaries remaining in the low mark despite the economy’s rapid growth,” the NGO said.

With the first hint of a crisis, some of the country’s biggest companies – particularly those that in recent years made millions in profit – threatened to lay off workers. Some workers received an SMS to inform them that they had been made redundant, Graffitti claimed.