Muscat: Labour will bring in COLA wage increase retroactively if Budget fails

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat promised this morning that if the Budget is defeated in Parliament and Labour wins the next general election, Budget measures such as the COLA wage rise will be given retroactively from January 1. Speaking on One Radio, Dr Muscat said that in the same way that the government found a way to impose the price rises on fuel, it should be no problem for a Labour government to ensure that the salary raise and other benefits are given retroactively if the government tries to play the partisan game and holds the benefits. Dr Muscat defended his party's decision to retain the Budget framework if it is elected, and said that those criticising the position did not know how the EU worked. He said that the government, if it followed procedures, would have negotiated the Budget with the EU. To reject the Budget would mean having to renegotiate a new one, which would take months and instil uncertainty which would not benefit the country. What Labour intended doing, from April or May, was to start talks with the EU for the next four years. It wanted to look ahead, not backwards, Dr Muscat said. However Labour could not vote in favour of the Budget in parliament...