A study has been published on different categories of families and how much their income should be so that they can live a decent life. This study is the result of a joint effort of the General Workers’ Union, the Graffiti Movement and the Anti-Poverty Alliance.
The same study examined the income of six different categories of families in Malta. This study has a value of €90,000, co-financed 80% by the Structural Funds and 20% by the GWU.
Following a call for tenders in accordance with the procurement rules, the company Re-Think Advisory Ltd. was contracted to carry out this study, which also involved a sociologist and an economist. The study lasted several months, during which more than 1,000 people were interviewed, while several focus groups and even more individual interviews were conducted.
GWU Secretary General Josef Bugeja said in his statement that: “We wanted a scientific study to define what a living wage is, what we are referring to and how much it will cost.”
He described this study as the first step on the road to a decent income for all. “Our main common goal was to paint a real picture of what needs to be done so that every citizen in Malta can live a decent life and not fall into the risk of poverty. A study that will be presented to MCESD, all social partners and the government for discussion to see where we want to go and what the country can do to help each other so that everyone can live a decent life.”
In a presentation on the study, Jake Azzopardi of Re-Think Advisory Ltd. explained that when we talk about a living wage, we are not referring to the amount below which a particular family lives in absolute poverty.
“We want to talk about an amount above which the family has the possibility to fully participate in our society and live a decent life, not just covering the bare necessities,” Azzopardi said.
He explained that this study took into account several factors, including health, food and drink, housing, education, transportation and leisure.
