Labour wants to build on shipyard's success stories
Labour in government would commission a "strategic review" of the operations of the Malta Shipyards in order to improve on the success stories while eliminating the negative aspects, party leader Alfred Sant said during a visit to the 'yards yesterday...
Labour in government would commission a "strategic review" of the operations of the Malta Shipyards in order to improve on the success stories while eliminating the negative aspects, party leader Alfred Sant said during a visit to the 'yards yesterday in connection with the MLP's commemoration of Workers' Day.
When asked to specify what he meant by negative and positive aspects, however, Dr Sant merely reiterated his statement, suggesting that Labour's strategy would be devised on the findings of this review.
He was also non-committal on a question regarding the news, published in Maltatoday this Wednesday, that John Cassar White, the chairman of Malta Shipyards, is one of his own confidants. "I don't comment on articles which appear in the media," was his curt reply.
He did say, when asked about his position in relation to the EU's target to end the 'yards' subsidies by 2008, that Labour, "as it had done in the past", would maintain its view of the shipyards as a strategic asset of the Maltese economy and would "take those steps it deems necessary for its survival".
Earlier, during a tour of the docks, accompanied by a small group of Labour Party officials, Dr Sant exchanged a few short comments with former worker-director Sammy Meilaq, who was returning from his break along with a group of workers.
Mr Meilaq said that the workers were of the opinion that the company could be more selective in the ship repair work it takes on.
"We know there is the market out there," he said. "If the 'yard focuses on that sort of work it would mean a substantial improvement on revenue."
The biggest problem being faced by workers, he said, was uncertainty.
Another worker, who barged into the discussion, pointed to the hiring of foreign workers as a factor behind this uncertainty. However, Mr Meilaq said it was not a question of foreign or local employees but rather a problem of the casual terms on which labour was being hired, which was rendering full-time employment more precarious.