WATCH: ‘Maltese Migrants Started At The Bottom Too But Are Now Rich’: Minister Gives Hope To Foreign Garbage Collectors
Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has refuted concerns that the government is advocating a caste system with Maltese people at the top of society and foreigners at the bottom, recounting how Maltese migrants had started life in foreign countries working menial jobs.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said yesterday that he doesn’t want Maltese people to work as garbage collectors but to aspire for high-end jobs, a comment that Opposition leader Adrian Delia immediately dubbed as “classist”.
However, Scicluna has now used the tale of Maltese people who emigrated to Canada, the USA and Australia after the Second World War to give hope to foreign migrants working here that they can climb up Malta’s social ladder.
“When Maltese people migrated to Canada, the USA and Australia, they started out working in menial jobs because they were so easy to land and because they didn’t have skills and an educational background,” the minister told Lovin Malta.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Adrian Delia debate on Xtra
“However, they eventually climbed up the ladder, made money and are now rich. That’s how it starts though. It’s when there’s no mobility when you get worried that you’re stuck doing menial jobs. The Americans are very proud that their best entrepreneurs and millionaires started their careers sweeping the floor, but kept on graduating up, up and up until they became big businessmen.”
“The worst thing is when you start out sweeping the floor and are still sweeping the floor when you’re approaching retirement. However, climbing up the ladder is a normal thing that we should be proud of.”
Scicluna said that Muscat was basically urging Maltese people to encourage their children to aim high in life.
“He wanted to say that [the Maltese] should take the best jobs the island can offer. As for the other jobs, if someone offers to take them, then let them take them, but the emphasis was on Maltese families to take the best jobs their children deserve.”
Asked for other examples of low-end jobs, Scicluna commented: “Well, some people take the catering industry as a low-end job, even though it isn’t. Some people like the Italians are very proud to do it.”
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