Below follows Unite the Union's May Day message:

Unite, the union for workers in Gibraltar, have stated in advance of the first physical May Day celebrations since 2019 that Government and employers should target investment and not cuts to ensure that Gibraltar grows out of a post-pandemic economic shock.

A long-term plan for an economic recovery is required, not short-term decisions to balance the books. Those working in Gibraltar have been at the forefront of the fight against Covid and continue to lead the way in the economic bounce back required to rebuild the public finances. The union has numerous demands to mark International Workers’ Day:-

• Yes to quality jobs and conditions across all sectors
• No to cuts to services
• Yes to decent pay rates & a minimum wage increase
• No to job reductions
• Yes to statutory union recognition
• No to austerity
• Yes to dignity at work
• No to bullying
• Yes to quality training
• No to underinvestment in skills  
• Yes to 21^st century family friendly legislation
• No to discriminatory behaviour in the workplace
• Yes to safer workplaces and engagement of union safety representatives
• No to poor employment practices  

Unite Gibraltar stated: “Working people in Gibraltar across the public and private sectors have been rightly lauded for their positive contributions across all phases of the pandemic. Those workers who contributed hugely throughout the pandemic, many of which continued to work on the frontline at the height of Covid across all sectors of the economy in Gibraltar deserve our gratitude. Now is not a time to resort to cuts and job losses by stealth, workers are the key to providing quality services across the public sector and delivering profits in the private sector.

“Workers deserve quality jobs and conditions regardless of the sector they work in, as well as dignity at work and the eradication of poor employment practices. Unite and our members are acutely aware of the financial pressures that have been caused by Covid, but continued proclamations of the unsustainability of the public sector are unhelpful at best when we should be exploring how to improve conditions in both the public and private sectors.

“What is required is a modernisation of the employment market for a fairer, more equal and inclusive Gibraltar. Those same workers that were at the forefront of the fight against Covid will lead the economic recovery, a recovery that must be marked with investment and not cuts. Workers deserve decent pay rises to combat the cost of living crisis currently being experienced and also investment in good, quality training and skills. Critically workers in the private sector must be enabled, where they choose, to be collectively represented and their conditions of employment bargained by a trade union. Therefore it is time to pass into law the long awaited statutory trade union legislation to give working people the choice as to whether they want to be represented individually and collectively by a trade union.

“Finally we are delighted to be able to arrange the first physical May Day event since 2019 due to the pandemic and look forward to seeing our members in attendance at Casemates from midday on 1^st May to celebrate the positive contributions of working people”.