UPDATED - Government to issue dockyard retirement schemes on Monday

Graham Crocker

Aug 3rd 2008, 20:38

Why do people care if the Dockyard workers take early retirement or not??

If they don't its better for us (taxes could be better spent elsewhere) & it would be their problem and their fault for losing early retirement.

Just saying though, if i was a dockyard worker, i would have taken early retirement in a split second, before some union worker would screw things up.

Its funny how people love to talk about Care, nobody cares about the other 1/2 of Maltese who do NOT have job security. Take it or leave it, beggers are not choosers.

A.Bonanno

Aug 2nd 2008, 17:01

Everyone is against the GWU, but please remember that a month before the general election the government stated that there are no plans of downsizing. Also before the election the Prime Minister in a local TV program stated that his party has never dumped employees. Please be realistic, the wages that are paid to Maltese workers have a multiplier effect on our economy. If the new owner will utilize foreigners the bulk of their wages would be spent in there country of origin. Also remember that besides the 1700 employees of Malta Shipyards there are hundreds of suppliers and subcontractors that earn a living from the yard. In other privatisations employees were guaranteed a job, are employees of Malta Shipyards 2nd class citizens? Please answer me a question who signed the contract of Fjord, were an enormous loss was registered? Do we have to blame employees also for this contract?

C PACE

Aug 2nd 2008, 15:10

ITS A MISTAKE TO PUT THE BLAME ON THE WORKERS AS THEY DO THE WORK THAT THEY ARE GIVEN AND THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT LAZY. LAZY WORKERS ARE THOSE THAT WORK IN THE ROADS BECAUSE FOR A SIMPLE TASK YOU WILL SEE A WHOLE GROUP OF WORKERS LYING IDLE AND MAYBE ONLY A COUPLEOF THEM WOULD BE WORKING.

WE SHOULD BLAME THE MANAGEMENT AS THEY ARE THE ONCE WHO TAKE THE DECISIONS AND NOT THE WORKERS. THE WORKERS ONLY DO AS THEY ARE TOLD. AT THE DRY DOCKS THEY ARE CONSTANTLY SUPERVISED NOT LIKE OTHER GOV WORKERS.

THOSE WHO WANT THE DRY DOCKS TO CLOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO DONT HAVE ANY ONE IN THE FAMILY WORKING THERE AS OTHERWISE THEY WOULD NOT SPEAK THAT WAY. APART FROM THAT NO ONE IS GIVING ANY IMPORTANCE TO THE WAY THESE WORKERS MIGHT BE FEELING. THEY ARE UNSURE ABOUT EVERYTHING. THESE WORKERS HAVE TO GO TO WORK EVERYDAY ALWAYS UNSURE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT SINCE THEY ARE THE FOOTBALL AT THE FOOT OF THE GWU AND THE GOVERNMENT.

WE MALTESE PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED AS CARING PEOPLE BUT I GUESS PEOPLE WOULD CARE ONLY WHEN PEOPLE START BEGGING OTHERWISE THEY DONT GIVE A DAMN.

Joseph Piscopo

Aug 2nd 2008, 11:08

Various commentators are accusing the dock workers to be the laziest in the Maltese Islands. At least these workers punch in when they arrive and punch out when they leave the yard. If they get in late, their wage will be eventually deducted. Does this exist at government departments and agencies?

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 2nd 2008, 10:10

Brilliant J Martinelli....Once again you fail to get what I was saying....*sigh* Once again you ignore various points raised in my matter...Pointing them all out again would be a waste of time. As for J Bonello, well, at least he tries answering One of my questions..But only reverts to one issue, and in doing so just reverts to patronising the worker's choice. As for consultation, please look up recent statements by the UHM and MUT amongst others..But I guess that they're also looking forward tp marrying labour.

J.Bonello

Aug 2nd 2008, 07:13

@Jeremy J. Camilleri
You say that the workers trust the union. That is exactly the problem. The union is not worthy of their trust. It has let them and other workers down (remember the 'marriage' with the Labour Party) and I can assure you that it will do so again. No one is questioning the legality of the workers choosing the GWU to represent them, what the workers should ask themselves is whether their interests may be best safeguarded by an 'organisation of sorts' (GWU) which has, in many people's view, already been responsible for the loss of jobs in other instances (Sea Malta, Phoenicia etc.). The choice is theirs.

As to what you said about consultation, may I remind you what 'consultation' was all about in the good old days when the GWU was 'married' to the Labour Party - basically the process of informing of decisions already taken. This Government has already been commended about the level of consultation it is adopting - something which unfortunately cannot said about the times when the GWU was 'married' to the Labour Party and participated in some of the worst excesses ever perpetrated against the workers.

joe borg

Aug 1st 2008, 23:53

Well done Minister if they do not accept do as what you did with the sea malta guys send them home with nothing. Take it or leave it my friends we had enough of you and sponsoring a white elephant

J Martinelli

Aug 1st 2008, 22:49

@ Jeremy J Camilleri

"My oh my...All of a sudden we have so many experts writing on blogs" - SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, JEREMY?

Someone suggested that Joseph talks to Toni and persuade him to accept the government's early retirement package. That was a good idea, but the problem is that the fence that Joseph sits on has been steadily increasing in height and to make that kind of suggestion is to make Joseph jump off to one side of the fence - and the height scares him.

But then, Joseph doesn't have to do much. There are a number of workers with enough intelligence who will evaluate the package and reflect on the consequences should they take the advice of Tony Zarb.

I suspect that a substantial number will put their money where their mouth is and take a chance of receiving a tidy sum while still young enough to secure a good paying job in their particular trade, possibly with the new owners themselves!

Mr. Alan Borg seems to be on the right track and I would not be surprised if he can be of substantial influence on his fellow workers.

Good luck Alan.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 1st 2008, 22:46

Alex: then you should complain of the great losses within the health sector, were the security guards outnumber the nurses: 2:75 million paid in security fees to blue eyed boys whilst govt.employed security guards are left to guard st>lukes hospital insetad of being redeployed.
Complain about the millions sqandered in bad deals by airmalta in the past..The millions squandered in various Govt depts which, like the drydocks, where overstaffed, and yet, surprisingly needed hundreds of new workers RIGHT before the last election. Did you complain about that?
As for leaving politics aside...That statement goes to show that you do not even know what the word means...Look it up. As for partisan politics..Well..I m sure you leave it aside as to your comment regarding Gonzi and your feeble attempt to sidetrack my earlier question.

As to Lvella...me giving advice ..Why should I?...we had a par idejn sodi telling us that everything is fine at the drydocks...but then again...thats another subject all of you tend to ignore....I ll just ask again in case all of you didn't get it...3 months ago the dockyard was doing well enough, and the workers had guaranteed jobs...What has changed?...Don't worry....I don t expect any answers....

c.mizzi

Aug 1st 2008, 22:39

So its the Cala affair once again !!! Go and tell it to the marines Mr. Zarb !

J Micallef

Aug 1st 2008, 22:33

The Government owes us an explanation of how is he is spending our money. How much money is the government forking out to such an unproductive sector? Isn’t EUR 1 billion enough? Is the Government going to reward the shipyard workers for their low productivity? What kind of message is this? Do we want the young people to shy away from productive private sectors, when being unproductive is so financially rewarding?

The Government should not fiddle with our taxes. The shipyards should be closed ASAP, if the government envisages having any bargaining power with the prospective investors. Decades of low productivity and enormous losses are enough of a reason to close this bankrupt enterprise immediately. Subsequently it can negotiate freely, without any unnecessary obstacles. The new owner should then have a free hand who and how many employees to employ according to market needs.

Even though consultation with unions is yheoretically healthy, the Government should ignore the threats of the GWU, get real and act in the interest of the whole nation. After all the sole interest of the GWU is to serve the MLP's agenda. History speaks for itself, the shipyard workers are just a means to an end.

John Saliba

Aug 1st 2008, 21:09

Dr. Joseph Mangani believes that chameleons were an alien species. They might be, but not to Labour and since immature and inexperienced Joseph became the supremo, the colours have been changing most regularly. Anti "Cane's" Europe became pro Europe, Anti EU became pro EU. Anti privatization has become 'in favour of privatization'. Anti SmartCity became 'We are in favour". In the past they used to insist that the fairest tax was Income Tax and now they want the government to honour its promise of reducing it further irrespective of the economic changes that are taking place worldwide. Need I say more?

Dr Joseph Mangani

Aug 1st 2008, 18:59

Before the last elections, the Prime Minister had publicly said that he had no plans for the downsizing of the the dockyards' workforce. I always thought that chameleons were an alien species.

A Mangion

Aug 1st 2008, 18:50

@ j camilleri

Its not a matter of partisan politics as you may be interested. its a finance matter. i m a taxpayer and am fed up funding the losses of governmental companies. so you must be happy that at last someone is stopping this practice once and for all.

regarding your comment that i should have asked some questions to dr gonzi before d election, i didn t bother cause i was sure that the pm means business and would act on this. please mr camilleri, leave politics aside u ikber!!

L Vella

Aug 1st 2008, 18:48

@Mr. Jeremy Camilleri
Why don't YOU give the GWU some expert advice - ask THEM to take over the dockyard mnagement - similar (not like) the Cargo Handling deal. I wonder if they will be interested in defence of their members. I believe most taxpayers will welcome such a bold step from the beloved Union.

Alan Borg

Aug 1st 2008, 18:36

I am a MSL worker and i am looking foward for the drydocks privatiation. The GWU has the right to try and achive the best possible terms for us but i will not let her or the delegates to decide for me they have no right they do not own the drydocks and have no right to uphold any privatiation. I will not submit my from to the union and i can assure the public that i am not alone in this. There is nothing to be afraid of the future as the GWU stressed on may occassions that it is not the workers fault we are in this situation so i ask why all this buzz? are we not capable now working under new ownners? All i would like to add is that we are above the rest of the workforce as we are getting a golden handshake with a possiblity to still work at drydocks different terms and conditions so whats the buzz. all i hope there will be no repetition of SeaMalta, Casion and the Phonecia. Its seems its only the union stands to lose.

m attard

Aug 1st 2008, 18:33

I wonder why I haven't seen one query why most major European & Norwegian Dockyards are all flourishing given the revival of the shipping industry and the boom in the cruise liner business and ours which probably is one of the most strategically placed in the Med has floundered. I can't understand why most of you are still pointing fingers at the workers when it seems that it was Management decisions that lost the Yard money these last years. I presume that the management where all made up of so called shipping 'experts'.

John Saliba

Aug 1st 2008, 17:38

Labour's bright new leader should step in and help sort out the problem. Joseph, be frank, tell Tony Zarb to act responsibly for a change and accept the Government's retirement scheme. Come on Joseph, show us that you are willing to grow up. You only have until Monday to come clean on this issue. No 'gallarija' please... we've had enough of that from Labour.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 1st 2008, 17:29

My oh my...All of a sudden we have so many experts writing on blogs. Pity that they had not shared their new found knowledge with the Government and dockyard management before! Perhaps the Dockyard would now be making record profits if that had been shared...Keep it coming in folks...

Now for the matter in hand, the drydocks workers obviously trust the Union. So are most of you saying that they have no right to have a union negotiate in their stead?

The workers have every right to nominate anyone they deem fit to negotiate in their name. They have chosen the GWU. Get used to it. Its legal!

Mr Fenech's statement clearly shows that all he wants is to negotiate directly with the workers...For obvious reasons...Since March Unions seem to have no place in the Pn's new found world. Just check what other unions are saying regarding consultation.

Once again, what amazes me is if all you experts knew all along that a future for drydocks workers was always out o fthe question, why were you not writing and questioning the Prime Minister's public statements before the last election? OOps, sorry, forgot you can't question him now can you......

A Zammit

Aug 1st 2008, 17:28

Mr Zarb,.......ISSA DAQSHEKK !!!!!

A Mangion

Aug 1st 2008, 16:53

Mr Zarb, do you really believe in the CALA Corporation proposals!!? Do you know the knowabouts of this company!!? It has market capitalisation of just EUR 718,000 as at today!!! Do you think that I company with such market capitalisation (with half of this capital being debt with banks) can invest in the shipyards which needs millions of Euros in investments!!!? Mr Zarb, today thanks to IT its easy to do some research and do some conclusions. Check it out yourself if you want and be serious in your proposals.

Hope the Shipyards employees realise that its time to say ISSA DASQHEKK to the GWU. Once there was someone in Valletta during the CHOGM meeting that said WE WILL ROCK YOU!! Cant remember to whom he was refering!!

B Sant

Aug 1st 2008, 16:41

i pity the workers at the MS , they are just puppet on a string between unions and the govts .... they are just used as a show of strength for either side. Come on mess it more up. Both the state and the unions have been messing them up for more than 30 years. Come on mess it up till the end, now

Joseph E Briffa

Aug 1st 2008, 16:40

Good for the drydocks workers if Cala are prepared to increase the labourforce: then if I were a drydock worker, I would opt for the retirement scheme just in case, take the golden handshake now, and apply to be reemployed with Cala if they buy the drydocks. Even if Cala may not pay as much as the MDD, at least I would have a nest egg to lie back on.

Lewis Balzan

Aug 1st 2008, 16:40

It stands to reason that any incentive for early retirement will primarily attract those that are a few years away from retirement or else have the right skills,initiative and aptitude to find another job whilst benefiting from a lump-sum handout by the government. The rest would be either workers who are semi-skilled, whose skills are not required outside a dockyard environment or else who lack any initiative to re-train themselves to make themselves useful in another job. Ergo the government could achieve its aim to reduce the workforce to around 700 (at a huge cost to the taxpayer), but this would be mostly made up of workers who would otherwise not have been retained if the selection process had been done differently. In my opinion the correct process would be to first know exactly the number of workers and their skills required by the new owners. And then proceed by offering a mix of terminal benefits and early retirement incentives to those workers whose services are not essential for the new operation. Only in this way could a prospective buyer retain a reduced workforce with the necessary skills to make a success of his new venture.

L Vella

Aug 1st 2008, 16:29

The truth is that a) no sane investor would take the yard with the current number of employees so the GWU is essentially stopping the privatisation process and b) as in the case of Sea Malta Government WILL close the company come January 09 because the EU will not allow more subsidies AND the people do not want to throw any more tax-money into the yard AND are hence behind a Government that is taking this bull by its horns!

One questions here, is the GWU trying to protect its members or itself ?

G Micallef

Aug 1st 2008, 16:20

In all probability Cala [GWU's stated potential investor] has no idea of the Shipyards' workers mentality. If it does ;it would not be contemplating an increase of the current workforce.

J Farrugia

Aug 1st 2008, 16:04

Tony Zarb forget Cala. Do not be responsible for the closing down of the MDD. You are solely responsible for the livelihood of all the MDD employees. The Maltese people will no longer tolerate subsidising the bankrupt MDD. You have already made many obstacles in the government's way. Do not be irresponsible.

Charles Camilleri

Aug 1st 2008, 16:02

It seems that history is repeating itself. The GWU has learned nothing from the debacle of Phoenicia episode and the Sea Malta affair amongst others. The workers should be careful and examine the best way out for them. There are not many options left.

michael vassallo

Aug 1st 2008, 15:55

well done GWU .......... shame on Tonio's arrogance!