What will the strike cost? (1)

Considering that in the minds of many of the tax-paying public the recent strike called by the Transport Federation was irrelevant and illegal, I find it hard to understand why the government, namely Austin Gatt, is now saying that the two sides would go to arbitration over the amount of €60,000 usually paid as a subsidy to the buses and which was deducted when they were on strike. If they didn't work and so "earn" that subsidy, then it is obvious to one and all that they are not entitled to it.

The same can be said for the Motor Hearses Association. What possible loss of earnings are these people going to face that entitles them to receive €230,000 as a gift from the government? To me and, I am sure, hundreds of other ordinary law-abiding citizens, this is just a slap in the face to us. The government is condoning the strike and rewarding the strikers instead of punishing them.

And if every mini-bus driver were "awarded" for loss of business on the same criteria, the Malta tax-payers would be facing a bill of €8.5 million.

What about us, the ordinary people in the streets? Do we get any compensation for the possible losses we might have suffered over those four days due to the total lack of common decency on the part of the bus and mini-bus drivers? What about money docked for late arrivals at work or money lost through not being able to get to work? And what about those of us on holiday being unable to move around in a free and easy manner due to the ignorance of certain people who insisted on breaking the law by causing an obstruction?

Will they get any form of compensation from the government, or are the ministers concerned just going to pretend that nothing has happened and those four days were just a bad dream?

While on the subject of mini-buses, how is it that the same people are still doing the Park and Ride shuttle? Wasn't their contract rescinded during the strike? Or was that just hot air as well to make it look as though something was being done?

If that turns out to be the case, and they are given the contract again, and maybe the Transport Federation is given some sort of financial incentive to carry on, similar to the hearses, the government would regret it when voting time comes around again and the voting population remembers that the present government is one that gives in to the "might over right" brigade, and vote accordingly.

It would be interesting to know just how much this strike is going to cost us law-abiding tax payers.