The General Workers’ Union has called for stronger social dialogue and greater investment in continuous worker training so that Malta can turn its economic and technological challenges into opportunities for growth.

Secretary general Kevin Camilleri made the comments after attending a business breakfast organised by the Nationalist Party on Budget 2027, where proposals on productivity, wages, workers’ skills and the use of artificial intelligence were discussed. Many of the party’s proposals, he noted, had long been under discussion among the social partners. He described the exchange as interesting, but said he wanted to see more weight given to the role of social dialogue in shaping and implementing policies that affect workers and the economy directly.

Continuous training, skills development and professional development should be priorities, Camilleri said, so that workers can adapt to technological change and the new demands of the labour market. The challenges facing the country, including those tied to digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence, should be treated as openings to raise productivity, create higher-quality jobs and strengthen the prospects for better pay and conditions.

At the business breakfast, Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg set out four pillars he said should deliver a more competitive economy: productivity, skills, wages and tourism. His proposals included incentives for more businesses to invest in automation, digitalisation, robotics and artificial intelligence, along with greater investment in worker training and development.

Borg also floated proposals to cut bureaucracy, raise efficiency, strengthen innovation and research and set up a dedicated authority to match the economy’s needs with workers’ skills and to regulate the recruitment of foreign workers. On wages, he spoke about incentives tied to productivity and added value, more room for career advancement and the development of new economic sectors offering better pay.

On tourism, the Nationalist Party proposed that the increase in the eco-contribution apply between May and October. Attending the business breakfast for the GWU were deputy secretary general Kevin Abela and president Jason Deguara.