GWU reacts to dockyard debate in the House

Joseph W. Galea

Jul 4th 2008, 07:39

Mr.Abela, the whole world is looking for alternative means of energy generation, if the shipyards developed such a mechanism, why was it not advertised to all and sundry? Why didn't the union use it as a weapon to enhance the Yard's chances of survival?

It would seem to me that such an important mechanism would have had several suitors who would be willing to pay billions for the patent. Why wasn't it pushed to the hilt?
Or was it not viable?

mario debono

Jul 4th 2008, 06:58

They need to be privatised. Period. And no they are not lazy bums.......just misguided misled ones. The culprit? The GWU ! Most of the blame for the state of the dockyards lies fairly and squarely on its doorstep.

Chris Borg

Jul 3rd 2008, 23:17

By privitising the shipyards the government is claiming that the bulk of the workers will remain employed.

Does this mean only the administration is going to change??

The privatised shipyards are then expected to make profit??

So it isn't the workers that are making the shipyards inefficient after all???

So it must be the administration.

mark tanti

Jul 3rd 2008, 21:13

J.Abela, the NP has been giving a chance to the Malta Shipyard to recover since 1987.
Mr Abela do you really believe what you wrote in the whole of your second paragraph of your comment. ?? If you do can you explain to all of us how a year after year a money loosing entity can help the economy to grow ? The ecomy grows when the private sector creates well paid jobs and make profits which are then re-invested and create more jobs which more jobs mean more income for the govt. from taxes and VAT

I. M. Dingli

Jul 3rd 2008, 19:40

I guess the GWU is afraid of becoming redundant itself should the Shipyards close.

I agree with the government that no more money should be put into this endless pit!!

John Abela

Jul 3rd 2008, 19:18

@ J Micallef. the term "aristocracy of the working class@ is quite denigrative. The term was coined by sociologists etc. to refer to that sector of the working class which has power over the rest of this class, i.e. that sector of the working class which acts like the aristocracy.

Having said that, one must note that the Dockyards were a source of foreign currency which was quite important when we still had the Lira. A heavy industry is likely to help the rest of the economy to grow. For instance, a prototype of a mechanism which produces energy using alternative energy has been manufactured at the shipyards. Thus, the shipyards can be an essential part in R&D.

If the shipyards have no potential, how is it that 5 companies already showed interest in buying over this industry? It is a known fact that the NP never wanted the shipyards to recover.....It is also a known fact that for the last years there was a campaign to demonise shipyard workers and depict them as lazy bums.

J Micallef

Jul 3rd 2008, 18:26

Dear Tony Zarb

You are completely wrong on this one. the people that you mention are with the government this time. they are fed up of forking money to the dockyard.EUR 1 billion have been poured down the drain. This wasted money could have been used on health, R&D, education and our roads.

I still feel that it is a half baked solution, since the drydocks should be closed down completley. Tourism industry brings in much more money, which is spread out to various sectors of society and not the selected few. No wonder KMP called these people"the aristocracy". With all that money being taken away from our taxes.

After sucking off EUR 1 billion, the GWU has not lost any appetite. They want to keep the status quo and continue to fill up their bellies.