The Labour Party will celebrate Workers’ Day on the 1st of May with a mass event to be held in Castille Square, Valletta.

The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs Ian Borg and Deputy Leader for Party Affairs Alex Agius Saliba during a news conference held this afternoon at Castille Square, the venue which is set to host the event.

Borg explained that the event will feature a show with leading local singers and musicians, starting at 4pm, and culminating in a keynote address by Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Robert Abela. The party band is also expected to perform in the streets of Valletta ahead of the main event.

He said that Castille Square was chosen for this year’s celebration so that everyone can come to celebrate the marked achievements by a Labour Government in relation to workers, families, youths and pensioners.

Borg referred to the collective agreements reached for public sector employees, including recent agreements covering Civil Protection Department personnel and employees within the Courts Services Agency.

A Lbour Government, he said, always seeks ways to improve workers’ conditions and, as announced in this year’s Budget, it will continue to safeguard workers’ rights through additional leave measures for specific needs, including leave for family emergencies, families with children in intensive care, IVF treatment, miscarriage, and several other types of leave.

Agius Saliba meanwhile said that this year’s celebration will also mark the 100th anniversary since the Labour Party first commemorated Workers’ Day in Malta. The first celebration took place in Senglea and was spearheaded by dockyard worker John F. Marks.

This occasion is reflection of Labour’s longstanding identity as a workers’ movement, committed to improving quality of life despite historical opposition.

He said that past and present Labour administrations have introduced significant measures to strengthen workers’ rights, improve working conditions, and support pensioners.

He made reference to measures aimed at strengthening inclusion for persons with disabilities through stricter enforcement on employers, initiatives that are helping provide greater dignity and increased participation for persons with disabilities within society.

Particular emphasis was also placed on the significant rise in female participation in the workforce, with speakers noting that Malta moved from having one of the lowest rates in the European Union to among the highest, a shift attributed largely to the introduction of free childcare.

He said that these results were driven by sustained government policies focused on supporting workers, including what he described as the largest tax cut in the country’s history.

Looking ahead, he said that the Labour Party remains committed to building on these achievements, with the aim of continuing to improve the lives of Maltese and Gozitan citizens.