UĦM Voice of the Workers eMagazine issue 45

VOICE OF THE

WORKERS ISSUE 45 NOVEMBER 2014

Contents The Crux is Empowerment

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Interview: Therese Galdes Debono

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Living Longer, Staying Active

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Active Ageing

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Towards an Age-Friendly EU

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ACTIVE AGEING THE OPPORTUNITIES Polish Poet Stanislaw Jerzy Lec once stated that “Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art”.

Works of art are made through effort, creativity and vision. This concept is very adept to active ageing. The United Nations and the European Commission describe active ageing as the “... situation where people continue to participate in the formal labour market, as well as engage in other unpaid productive activities (such as care provision to family members and volunteering), and live healthy, independent and secure lives as they age”.

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The average age of the Maltese population is steadily increasing.

The rising levels of people who turn sixty presents a plethora of challenges. People are living longer. On the other hand, the people working to sustain their welfare is steadily decreasing.

Also, the rise in the number of elderly people means that our social welfare system, be it healthcare, social security and others, will need to focus better in this direction.

Active ageing is not just about living longer. It is also about

EDITOR’S NOTE JOSEF VELLA

a better quality of life. It means a life of independence, proactive contribution to the economy, and a sector of the population who, rather than being just beneficiaries, become contributors to the society of which they form part. The national Strategic Policy for Active Ageing 2014-2020, is a definite step in the right direction. It aims at putting Malta on the path of sustainable ageing, both for the individual, as well as for the country in general.

It is important that this strategy is implemented, and we start to look further than 2020, which is 1

EDITORIAL

just six years away. We need to look much further into the future to harvest the opportunities of active ageing.

The UHM was the initiator of the Jobs+ initiative; it is the concept of making work pay was at all levels. We believe that active ageing is an intrinsic and essential part of Jobs +. Jobs+ is about investing in people’s skills and education, giving them the flexibility that is so important in the labour market of today and the future. This aspect is also very true of people who have reached retirement age, but

who feel they still have a lot to contribute in their work. Malta can gain immensely from the expertise and experience of these people, provided that they have the necessary skills and are empowered to participate in society. From all the important concepts surrounding Active Ageing, achieving empowerment is perhaps the key to success.

Senior citizens can influence policy, contribute to economic and social wealth, and feel realized in the process.

work towards further developing the active ageing culture. This can be done through focused resources, clear policy, and the will to succeed. We need to address pressing issues such as the pensions policy, as well as aspects relating to accessibility, both physically as well as accessibility related to the labour market. Done this, we need to focus on a long-term strategy with specific targets and criteria for measuring success. Malta’s greatest asset is people; of all ages.

We need to work on different fronts: most of all, we need to PICTURE STORY

The Crux is Empowerment Empowered people contribute to a better society; empowered and active ageing denotes people who keep investing their creativity and their efforts towards theirs, and their society’s benefit. Rather than being just beneficiaries, they keep on being contributors. Keeping physically, socially and mentally active will be beneficial both to person as well as country. Living longer is an opportunity to increase our quality of life. Experience, energy and creativity need to be continuously tapped: it’s the resource underlying our very own success.

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INTERVIEW: THERESE GALDES DEBONO

Interview

Therese Galdes Debono

Secretary of the Pensioners’ Section, UHM What, do you think, are need to be more effective at he or she can still contribute the current issues in Malta helping people become aware of to society. It is also beneficial regarding active ageing? the fact that this new era can be for Malta, as these people keep I will be talking about this as a fulfilling, rewarding, and happily contributing to the economy, pensioner, from the eyes of a hectic. We need to help these rather than become solely pensioner. In Malta, we have people see options on how they beneficiaries. And with an ageing an issue regarding the people can remain active, both at work population, we need to make sure nearing pensionable age, in as well as within family circles and that the labour market remains that many are not prepared for friends. fully accessible to these poeple. this new era of their life. Today However, this applies only to they are working, people who are fit We need to be more effective at helping people to continue working. tomorrow they retire. For some, the become aware of the fact that this new era can There are jobs that shock is too great. can make it difficult be fulfilling, rewarding, and happily hectic The consequences for workers to of this are feelings continue beyond of uselessness, solitude, as well What is the importance you pensionable age. These include as feeling lost. Many become attach to the possibilities for physical work or very high stress different people at home, people that have reached work. It may become virtually resulting in various unwelcome pensionable age to continue impossible for many people to clashes. Some feel that they are working? keep the job they had been doing not really adept for voluntary Definitely, this is important for for much of their working lives. work. Most of them do not various reasons. It ios important This means that these people possess the necessary skills. We for the individual who feels that can continue working only if VOICE OF THE

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INTERVIEW: THERESE GALDES DEBONO

I dream of the time that we could effectively utilise pensioners’ skills to teach younger people, especially in crafts that will otherwise be irretrievably lost

they decide to change jobs. This job change can happen only if the person is flexible and skilled enough. Unfortunately, many who are involved in physically demanding manual labour, lack the necessary skills to be flexible in this sense. Consequently, they feel robbed of their identity. This is something we tend to forget.

The psychological scars on some people’s lives can be significant.

We need to cater for these people as well. People need to feel that they are still useful to themselves and the society they are living in.

On another aspect, I dream of the time that we could effectively utilise pensioners’ skills to teach younger people, especially in crafts that will otherwise be irretrievably lost. Some that come to mind are traditional sewing techniques, as well as traditional aspects of the building trade.

By being useful, they will still be contributing to the economy.

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How about pensioners being on the wrong side of the digital divide?

It is quite a problem. Not being part of the digital society is today’s new form of poverty. Pensionable age people have encountered the digital reality late in their lives. More and more services are becoming entirely computer or internet based. We need specifically trained people to give the right skills to these people.

I am not talking about ECDL courses here. I am talking about basic applied skills such as surfing the internet, social media, email and others. All people have a right to these basic skills. If not, the poverty gap will increase.

To have more active pensioners, what can we do more?

To be fair, a lot is already being done. Local Councils, and even here at UHM, we deliver computer courses. However, we need to go beyond formal skills and more into applied ones, as I stated

before: email, skype and leisurely gaming, why not? Naturally, persons reaching pensionable age in twenty years’ time will be more adept to technology than people who are of pensionable age today.

However, the challenges will also be changing as technology encroaches our lives more and more.

The measures relating to awareness and skill building for would-be pensioners need to be refined and stepped up, according to educational levels and social realities. This can be done by government, large companies as well as local councils. Government can embark on these schemes for its own public sector employees that will be retiring in the next three to five years.

Large companies can do likewise, as these will have substantial numbers of employees. Local Councils can cater for others within their own communities.

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MEUSAC

Living Longer, Staying Active Allowing people to stay active as they grow older and to continue contributing to society is key to tackling the challenges of demographic ageing.

The EU Statistical Office, Eurostat, projects that by 2060 there will be only two people of working age (15-64) in the EU for every person aged over 65, compared to a ratio of four to one today. The strongest push in this direction is expected to occur during the period 2015-2035 when the baby boomers, who were born in the two decades after World-War II, start to retire.

In this context, the key issue is how these achievements can be maintained to guarantee a high level of social protection for young and old in the coming decades.

Active ageing measures ensure that the growing number of older

people stay in good health, have valuable skills and experience and are willing to make a significant contribution to society, be it in employment, lifelong learning or volunteering.

In response to these demographic challenges, in the last decade, the EU took a number of policy measures: • The EU devoted the year 2012 to Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. In this context, guiding principles for active ageing were elaborated by the Social Protection Committee and the Employment Committee. The Social Protection Committee is looking at ways of making adequate provision of longterm care sustainable in ageing societies, by investing in prevention, rehabilitation, age-friendly environments and

more ways of delivering care that are better adjusted to people’s needs and remaining capacities.

• The Active Ageing Index has been developed to assess the untapped potential of older people.

• The European Innovation Partnership for Active and Health Ageing is fostering innovation to raise healthy life expectancy.

The overall employment rate of older workers in Malta, in 2012, was of 33.6% - considerably lower than the EU average of 48.9%.

The Government’s commitment in the National Strategic Policy for Active Agieng 2014-2020, encourages older individuals to remain in the labour market through active welfare policies that support an ageing labour force.

MEUSAC 280 Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1112 Tel: +356 2200 3315 • Fax: +356 2200 3329 • Email: info.meusac@gov.mt www.meusac.gov.mt VOICE OF THE

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MCESD

ACTIVE AGEING ISSUES OF ACCESS

Malta’s 2011 National census indicated that the number of individuals aged over 60 years of age exceeded 100,000. This is a clear indicator that Malta, like the rest of Europe, has an ageing population. This is a demographic reality which has socioeconomic implications and may be attributed, amongst others, to improved healthcare and a decrease in birthrates.

Access to voluntary work, employment, education and lifelong learning processes are important so as to ensure that the elderly remain active in different scenarios. It is with the help of policy makers and the rest of society that the elderly can remain active. Identifying barriers to active ageing and trying to seek remedies may be an important step forward.

The concept of active ageing aims to achieve active participation of elderly persons in social, cultural and economic activities. The role of senior citizens in our society needs continuous acknowledgement since elderly individuals still have a lot to contribute past their retirement age.

The Maltese Government launched a National Strategic Policy on Active Ageing, a positive step forward in acknowledging this phenomenon and in ensuring that a structured approach is adopted in addressing the issue.

Government has also introduced

an important initiative. Following an agreement with their employer, individuals can work post retirement age and still receive their pension. This is being taken up by numerous individuals and hence they are still contributing to the economy in a very positive manner.

Involving senior citizens in decision making institutions also provides a sense of social belonging. Within the Civil Society Committee within the MCESD the elderly are also represented thus ensuring that this important faction of society are involved in dialogue sessions discussing issues of national relevance.

MCESD 280/3, Republic Street, Valletta, VLT1112 Tel: (+356) 2200 3300 www.mcesd.org.mt VOICE OF THE

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CIA

Towards an Age-Friendly EU Active and Healthy ageing is high on the European Agenda. One must remmember that most European Countreis have an ageing population, and policies connected to this reality need to be addressed proactively.

The information has been gathered by the Brussels office of the Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori.

A digital platform on Healthy Living and Active Ageing Leuphana University, together with the Republic of Malta and a network of world-class innovators, academics and industrial actors, has formed kenup – a network of innovators that will drive the pursuit of excellence in research and business development related to our ageing society.The article is available here: http://goo.gl/5Hrt63

The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing The European Commission has identified active and healthy ageing as a major societal challenge common to all European countries, and an area which presents considerable potential for Europe to lead the world in providing innovative responses to this challenge.

The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing will pursue a triple win for Europe: • enabling EU citizens to lead healthy, active and independent lives while ageing; • improving the sustainability and efficiency of social and health care systems; • boosting and improving the competitiveness of the markets for innovative products and services, responding to the ageing challenge at both EU and global level, thus creating new opportunities for businesses.

More information about the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing are available here: http://goo.gl/relQqc

TOWARDS AN AGE-FRENDLY EU In the Social Investment Package, the European Commission addresses future challenges and needs regarding social investment, sustainable welfare states and the ability to strengthen Europe’s competiveness in a global setting. However, social investment should primarily benefit the society; accordingly, a collective benefit for the society must be ensured.

Against the background of the demographic change it is crucial to invest as efficiently as possible, keeping in mind that social investment is needed through the whole live cycle.

Future projections foresee a growing number of older people and one of three possible scenarios expect an increasing demand of care, especially longterm care which might be difficult to supply.

Age-friendly environments (AFE) are considered as a key component to support longer healthy life years and consequently the ability to longer live independently. Therefore, AGE is aiming to promote age-friendly environments on European level, as the most sustainable and inclusive way to turn the demographic challenge into an economic and social opportunity that will benefit the whole society.

The following text will provide an overview of the development and implementation of AGE’s Campaign “Towards an AGE-Friendly EU by 2020”. An overview about the different documents influencing the processes is available here: http://goo.gl/Z9ueuu http://goo.gl/HzEG1K

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