Parity of Wages

Mr Bossano focused much of his efforts on challenging the position that existed whereby the MOD would pay Gibraltarian employees less than what they would pay overseas employees for the exact same jobs. Mr Bossano demonstrated his disapproval time and time again and claimed that this injustice was a direct result of the Government’s fear of losing control over local wages. The Government was of the opinion that parity of wages would eventually lead to economic disaster and the eventual collapse of the private sector – but Mr Bossano thought otherwise.

It was not until the publication of the Scamp report in 1975 that the Government of the time was forced to change its policy in line with what Mr Bossano had been advocating for years.

1976 was also a momentous year for the GSLP and Sir Joe. This was the year that Sir Joe first created and led the Gibraltar Democratic Movement (GDM). The GDM, then contested the 1976 elections and in 1977 renamed itself the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP). Ever since, it has only gone from strength to strength under the leadership of Sir Joe and Fabian Picardo.