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Employment and Labour

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• Employment and Labour

The GSD Government policies on employment and the improvement and protection of worker rights and conditions have been very successful. Other political parties, who, when in power did very little for workers now boast of being the party of workers! But the very obvious reality is that no political party in the history of Gibraltar has done more to create jobs and to advance the rights and interests of workers in Gibraltar than the GSD! At the core of our policy is that improving workers’ pay and other conditions of employment is a way of distributing the fruits of our economic success around the community.

Dealing first with EMPLOYMENT:

Economic policy has two fundamental purposes and objectives: to create wealth and Government revenue which the Government can then distribute and spend on public services and amenities; and to create jobs so that workers can support and sustain their families to the highest possible standard of living.

No Government has ever been more successful in creating jobs in our economy and in creating jobs for Gibraltarians! Consider these simple and clear statistics:

• • When the GSD came to power in 1996 there were 12,975 jobs in the economy. There are now an all time record 20,975 jobs in the economy, an increase of 8000 jobs or 62%!

• • The number of Gibraltarians with jobs has increased from 9,390 to 10,706. So, despite a static population size there are 1316 more Gibraltarians in employment now than in 1996!

• • The unemployment rate among Gibraltarians is just 2%, which is the lowest in the western world!

The GSD’s policies on WORKER RIGHTS have been equally successful.

When the GSD came to power in 1996 the position of workers in Gibraltar had suffered 8 years of neglect and abuse from a supposedly socialist GSLP Government that regarded workers and their representatives as a threat to their political power! Union membership was positively discouraged.

It is not a coincidence that all of Gibraltar’s retired leading trade union leaders have joined the GSD and not the GSLP! Bernard Linares, Jaime Netto, Louis Montiel, Edwin Reyes. And the GSD enjoys the support of many more trade union luminaries, including the father of workers in Gibratar Jose Netto...... Why do you think that that is?

The answer is simple: no political party in Gibraltar’s history has defended and promoted the rights and interests of workers and improved their position more than the GSD! That statement is not capable of serious, honest challenge.

Consider the following, which are just some of the advances made by workers under the GSD Government:

• • Trade Unions are no longer treated as “the enemy” as they were by the GSLP Government, but as valued social and negotiating partners. As a result many good and far reaching agreements have been negotiated with trade unions to significantly improve the pay and conditions of workers;

• • Workers are no longer intimidated at their work place on political grounds and abusive “Joint Venture” companies have been taken over by the Government and hundreds of workers given proper contracts, pensions and much improved pay and conditions;

• • Take home pay has risen sharply by 89% (compared to inflation of only 37%) as a result of rising pay and the huge tax cuts for workers, especially for the lowest paid. These, coupled with continuing freeze on government house rents and subsidy of electricity and water costs have led to a sharp rise in living standards for workers and their families.

• • Unemployed Moroccans are no longer bullied on racial grounds and are allowed access to the jobs market and Moroccan workers’ citizenship rights in Gibraltar have been greatly improved;

• • Hundreds of public sector workers have been given higher pay and better conditions in Agencies and Authorities;

• • Statutory Minimum Wage has been massively increased from £3.20 to £5.40 an increase of 69% (compared to inflation of only 37% in same period);

• • Statutory redundancy pay rights and insolvency fund protection have been extended to ALL workers;

• • 1000 MOD jobs and families have been protected against cuts backs and contractorisation by the GSD’s bold and innovative Global, transfer services and secondment agreements with the MOD;

• • Lower paid, part time and casual workers now pay much less social insurance;

• • Income tax has been ABOLISHED for Low paid workers earning under £8000 a year!

• • Tax on pension income has been ABOLISHED!

• • Huge increase in apprentice, training and job schemes both in public and private sector and a large increase in trainee pay and conditions;

• • Equalisation of industrial and non industrial terms;

• • Occupational pensions in private sector supported by extending Provident Scheme;

• • Fair pensions for civil servants with “break in service”

• • Long serving supply workers in public sector made permanent and pensionable;

• • Sheltered/supported employment scheme for those unable to fend for themselves in the jobs market;

• • Many Apprenticeship &Training Schemes in construction, Engineering and telecommunications trades, health &social care, business & administration (see Education &Training Section)

• • Unfreezing and Big (+54%) increases in Industrial Injury benefit;

• • Unfreezing and Big (+ 53%) increase in unemployment benefit;