Budget measures against foreign workers are ‘purely populist’, GWU boss says

29 Oct 2026 - Home | News | Politics

The general secretary of the General Workers’ Union, Kevin Camilleri says that ‘as a socialist and leftist union, I can never agree with the measures against TCNs’

The punitive budget measures targeting third-country-nationals (TCNs) are “purely populist,” General Workers’ Union (GWU) boss Kevin Camilleri told MaltaToday.

Camilleri was speaking to this newspaper following the announcement of higher fees and slashed benefits for TCNs without long-term residence status.

Reflecting on the majority of the budget measures announced on Monday, GWU General Secretary Kevin Camilleri said Budget 2027 is quite impressive when one considers the economic situation in many of the country’s neighbours.

While praising many social measures that protect Maltese workers and pensioners, Camilleri noted the budget fails to address issues such as traffic and affordable housing.

“But as a socialist and leftist union, I can never agree with the measures against TCNs,” he said. “It is a purely populist measure. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Camilleri acknowledged that the measures might make financial sense for government when it comes to its income and expenditure, “but we’ve forgotten about the direct impact on the people with low wages.”

READ ALSO | TCN Alliance: Budget is ‘slap in the face’ while government relies on TCN exploitation

The union boss said he understands the notion that no other country gives out every service for free, but insisted that the measures could’ve been introduced gradually instead of “three blows for the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Camilleri expressed his concern that TCNs might leave Malta in search of better conditions abroad, meaning employers will have to find new foreign workers.

The GWU’s head also flagged “a hypocrisy” from certain social partners “who now appear to have been converted into the defenders of TCNs.” 

While acknowledging that not all employers exploit their foreign workers, Camilleri said much of the disgruntlement from employers surrounding the new measures are tied to the higher fees associated with recruiting and maintaining TCNs.

Asked about the reaction from the GWU’s TCN members to the measures, Camilleri said many who spoke to the union were shocked and felt targeted. “Don’t we pay our taxes as well?” union members said, as Camilleri added, that the TCNs feel as though the PL government is no longer a socialist one.

Looking forward, Camilleri explained the GWU is looking toward mitigating the effects of the punitive measures on behalf of their members. 

The union boss noted that it is pointless for the GWU to complain without sitting down with employers and temping agencies to find solutions for its members.

Asked about the possibility of strikes and industrial action, Camilleri said such drastic measures are off the table, “but if these problems aren’t fixed, I don’t exclude anything.”