During the budget, the Finance Minister will likely remind us how much our economy has been growing. However, while our economy has surely been growing at a fast pace, this does not mean that this growth is being translated into a better quality of life for people in society, especially for workers.

An economy that grows for its own sake only puts more pressure on workers whose lives revolve around the demands of work. The high cost of living, an uncontrolled rental and property market, the low wages and precarious employment conditions experienced by workers in certain sectors, the number of cars on our roads, and the insufficient work-life balance policies have led to a deterioration rather than to an improvement in our quality of life, despite our economic boom.

Economic growth needs to be accompanied by social and economic policies which allow people to live dignified and fulfilling lives, to find time to rest, to spend time with their families and friends, to participate within their communities, to pursue interests away from their work routines. A good economy should enable people not only to earn money, but also to have a balance in their everyday life and control over their own time.

The government has been promising effective work-life balance measures for a number of years in its electoral manifestos. Yet the implementation of its promises leaves much to be desired. We need to move away from a model where the answer to higher living costs is to work longer hours or to have more than one job; where the answer to parents having to spend more time at work is more childcare, and where the answer to traffic is increasing road capacity.

If workers have the option work flexibly and remotely, they can have greater control over their lives while reducing unnecessary commuting. A shorter working week gives workers more time to spend with family, to care for others, to participate in community life and to rest. Adequate parental and carers’ leave will allow people to carry out caring responsibilities without negatively impacting their income. It may also encourage larger families. A holistic approach to work-life balance should also take into consideration the specific needs of persons with disabilities or with chronic illnesses so that everyone would be able to earn a living without sacrificing their health, independence, or quality of life. Workers also need to be able to disconnect from work.

Economic activity has to be organised around people’s lives, rather than the other way round; economic expansion needs to benefit workers and their families, rather than powerful business interests; and economic growth cannot be taken as the only indicator of social progress.

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Tkabbir ekonomiku mingħajr ġustizzja soċjali jibbenefika biss lill-ftit: miżuri għall-bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja

Matul il-Baġit, il-Ministru tal-Finanzi x’aktarx ħa jfakkarna kemm l-ekonomija tagħna kibret. Madankollu, filwaqt li huwa minnu li l-ekonomija tagħna kibret b’ritmu mgħaġġel, dan ma jfissirx li dan it-tkabbir qed jissarraf fi kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar għan-nies fis-soċjetà, speċjalment għall-ħaddiema.

Ekonomija li tikber għall-fini ta’ tkabbir biss tpoġġi aktar pressjoni fuq il-ħaddiema, li ħajjithom tispiċċa ddur madwar il-ħtiġijiet tax-xogħol. L-għoli tal-ħajja, is-suq tal-kera u tal-proprjetà bla kontroll, il-pagi baxxi u l-kundizzjonijiet ta’ impjieg prekarji li jesperjenzaw il-ħaddiema f’ċerti setturi, in-numru ta’ karozzi fit-toroq tagħna, u l-politiki insuffiċjenti dwar il-bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja wasslu biex tiddeterjora, aktar milli titjieb, fil-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna, minkejja l-isplużjoni ekonomika.

It-tkabbir ekonomiku jeħtieġ ikun akkumpanjat minn politiki soċjali u ekonomiċi li jippermettu lin-nies jgħixu ħajja dinjituża u sodisfaċenti, isibu ħin għall-mistrieħ, iqattgħu ħin mal-familja u l-ħbieb tagħhom, jipparteċipaw fil-komunitajiet tagħhom, u jsegwu interessi lil hinn mir-rutini tax-xogħol tagħhom. Ekonomija tajba għandha tippermetti lin-nies mhux biss li jaqilgħu l-flus, iżda wkoll li jsibu bilanċ fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum tagħhom u jkollhom kontroll fuq il-ħin tagħhom stess.

Għal numru ta’ snin, il-Gvern wiegħed miżuri effettivi għall-bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja fil-manifesti elettorali tiegħu. Madankollu, l-implimentazzjoni ta’ dawn il-wegħdiet hija limitata u diżappuntanti. Jeħtieġ nitbiegħdu minn mudell ekonomiku fejn it-tweġiba għall-għoli tal-ħajja hija li wieħed jaħdem sigħat itwal jew ikollu aktar minn xogħol wieħed; fejn it-tweġiba għall-fatt li l-ġenituri jkollhom iqattgħu aktar ħin fuq ix-xogħol hija aktar childcare; u fejn it-tweġiba għat-traffiku hija li nżidu l-kapaċità tat-toroq.

Jekk il-ħaddiema jkollhom l-għażla li jaħdmu b’mod flessibbli u minn fejn iridu, jista’ jkollhom kontroll akbar fuq ħajjithom filwaqt li jitnaqqas l-ivjaġġar bla bżonn. Ġimgħa tax-xogħol iqsar tagħti lill-ħaddiema aktar ħin biex iqattgħu mal-familja, jieħdu ħsieb lil ħaddieħor, jipparteċipaw fil-ħajja tal-komunità u jistrieħu. Leave adegwat għall-ġenituri u għal dawk li għandhom responsabbiltajiet biex jieħdu ħsieb ħaddieħor jippermetti lin-nies iwettqu dawn ir-responsabbiltajiet mingħajr ma jkollhom impatt negattiv fuq id-dħul tagħhom. Dan jista’ wkoll jinkoraġġixxi familji akbar. Approċċ olistiku għall-bilanċ bejn ix-xogħol u l-ħajja għandu jqis ukoll il-ħtiġijiet speċifiċi ta’ persuni b’diżabilità jew b’mard kroniku, sabiex kulħadd ikun jista’ jaqla’ l-għajxien tiegħu mingħajr ma jissagrifika saħħtu, l-indipendenza tiegħu jew il-kwalità tal-ħajja tiegħu. Il-ħaddiema hemm bżonn ukoll li jkunu jistgħu jaqtgħu mix-xogħol.

L-attività ekonomika għandha tkun organizzata madwar il-ħajja tan-nies, u mhux bil-kontra; l-espansjoni ekonomika għandha tkun ta’ benefiċċju għall-ħaddiema u għall-familji tagħhom, aktar milli għall-interessi kummerċjali b’saħħithom; u t-tkabbir ekonomiku ma jistax jitqies bħala l-unika indikazzjoni tal-progress soċjali.