Day of reckoning for the shipyard

I read with interest the contributions of Martin Mangion and of Michael Briguglio entitled: EC Warning On Shipyard Subsidies. Mr Mangion did not mince his words and urged the government to embark immediately upon an action plan with the private sector for the restructuring of the Malta shipyard.

On the other hand Mr Briguglio seems inclined to encourage the government to dish out subsidies to the yard. He admits though that: "sacrifices have to be made and productivity should be as high as possible... and the implementation of worthy proposals from the Appledore report".

He concludes by urging the government to work hand in hand with the General Workers Union, which according to him is doing its utmost to defend the livelihood of workers employed by Malta Shipyards and STMicroelectronics.

I disagree most forcefully that the government should continue to throw good money after bad in the case of the shipyards. Besides, the payment of subsidies after the stipulated time agreed with the government for the restructuring of the shipyard would end by year's end.

It is to be pointed out that at first after the agreement with the EU, productivity increased at the yard but now it appears that it is abysmally low. I do not think that the GWU was doing its utmost to defend the livelihood of the workers there during these last years. It appears that old habits never die and even though everyone knew that come the end of 2008 subsidies would become illegal, the yard is in its pitiful state. It is absurd and illogical that the more work there is on the books the more money it loses.

As one of the long suffering taxpayers of this country I am fed up seeing my hard earned money go into the bottomless pit which is the Malta shipyard. The time for lame excuses is over. It should be privatised and then we shall see whether the GWU actually defends the workers' livelihood. This nation cannot be held anymore to ransom by the yard. A very big chunk of the national debt is due to the subsidies paid for decades to the yard with nothing to show for it.

Everyone including the government should realise that the day of reckoning has come. This country cannot continue to be bled white as has been the case up to today. The yard workers should not continue to be granted a privileged status simply because they are yard workers. As a nation we should put our money where our mouth is.