Privatisation not the only option - GWU

The General Workers' Union yesterday insisted that privatisation was not the only option for the shipyards; it was but one of the options.

The union was replying to the Prime Minister's statement on Malta Shipyards in Parliament on Wednesday.

Lawrence Gonzi had insisted that there was no alternative to privatisation.

The GWU said the government's decision to hastily go for the privatisation of the shipyards was unilateral. Contrary to what had been claimed, it was not true that the union was informed of the government's plans, including on privatisation, in internal shipyard meetings.

Although it would not deny that meetings were held with the management, such meetings were regular. Others had been intended for the GWU to bring the mismanagement at the shipyards to the executives' attention.

It said that the government's fundamental mistake at the shipyards was that in these past years it diverted from the Appledore recommendations which cultivated ship repair as the main activity.

And if, as the government was proposing, the shipyards lost Boiler Wharf, the quays and the tank cleaning facilities, the 'yard's capital would become less useful, inefficiency would increase and there would be a drop in the productivity rate due to the scale factor in production.

In taking away these assets, the Prime Minister would not be just downsizing, but downsizing by design.

The union asked why was the government refusing to hold an independent and public inquiry on the Fairmount conversion contract for taxpayers to have all the facts as to why €46.6 million were lost in two years.

The GWU said it would continue discussing the matter with the government to safeguard the interests of workers, their families and the country as long as nothing was imposed on it.

It said it would keep workers informed and consulted and would not be taking unilateral decisions, as the government was doing.