Government ready for talks to 'fine-tune' shipyard package
The government said this afternoon that it welcomed the decision of the GWU to return to talks on the privatisation of Malta Shipyards and said that on Monday it would invite the union for meetings.
The Finance Ministry said the confrontational tone evident at the union’s meeting on Wednesday had drawn all round criticism, and even organisations which were represented at the event had issued statements calling for peaceful talks.
“The government never closed the door to negotiations, but it is important that the talks are held in a context which leads to successful privatisation of the shipyard, something which the GWU says it agrees with.
“The government remains ready for talks on fine-tuning the voluntary early retirement and resignation schemes and to keep the GWU informed on the progress of the privatisation process.”
In its statement, the ministry also appealed to the GWU to stop trying to give the impression that some sort of guarantees were given to the workers before the elections.
It explained that in a a letter sent to all the workers before the elections, the government explained that while it was not planning a downsizing of the enterprise, no further subsides could be given after December 31, 2008. It said that private partners were needed to participate in the shipyard, and that some assets, such as Boiler Wharf, would be used for the cruise liner business.
The government was respecting what was promised by seeking to make the shipyard financially viable.
The early retirement and resignation schemes were voluntary. They were not intended to reduce the size of the company, but to make it more viable. Downsizing took place when an employer resorted to forced redundancies on the basis of last in, first out, in order to reduce the size of the enterprise.
The government said it hoped that the union would keep the workers better informed instead of holding a “manifestation of incitement and threats” that was detrimental to the prospects for interest in the privatisation process.
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Randolph Bugeja
Aug 17th 2008, 08:16
@Charles Darmanin: "Sammy Meilaq 1 - Government 0". If that is the case then this is indeed a sad day because it would be a victory for violence and intimidation over reason. I hope you're wrong... hopefully in January you'll be proven wrong.
@Adrian Bonanno: A definite contract is exactly that... which means that when the term expires employment is terminated. Those who entered into a definite contract knew (or should have) known the significance of that particular contract of employment. How can someone whose definite contract expired expect compensation??? I honestly hope government is not using taxpayers' money to pay compensation where none is due!
Isn't it about time that these people stop behaving like the state (and the taxpayer) owes them a living?
C. Borg
Aug 17th 2008, 00:28
And who thinks the government would have invited GWU for talks if it weren't for their last meeting??
Let's see what this "fine tuning" is all about before you start keeping the score.
John Tonna
Aug 16th 2008, 21:45
cant understand why this is described as a GWU achievement
government has been calling the Union to present options/suggestions on the schemes for a long time....
so nothing new here.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Aug 16th 2008, 21:34
When the Union agrees with MLP..its oh my god..an unholy alliance, and when they disagree its, oh my god, they disagree....
As long as its blue..it aaaaaaaalriiiiiiiiiiiight...........
What was that film again? the zombie flick?
A.Gauci Cunningham
Aug 16th 2008, 20:41
...maybe you're right.....maybe you're not ( heyy i never said beat them up or let them die of hunger) ...............but the GWU tonight issued a statement which I've read too and to be honest I think it's the Union which is not heeding Joseph's advice...the GWU wants guarantees for those who do not take the schemes which due to its own pressure on them right now stands at 95% of the workers...................had it been as simple as "qed tara Joseph kemm kellu ragun" things would be much easier but they aren't............very clearly the stakes are way too high for someone this time and this someone is not Tonio........
M.Buhagiar
Aug 16th 2008, 19:24
@ Albert Gauci Cunningham
Prosit ! Qed Tara ?!!
With some effort you are agreeing basically with what the MLP in the name of its leader JOSEPH have been saying from the start .
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER , DON`T YOU THINK ?
Alfred Briffa
Aug 16th 2008, 19:24
Tale' quale with the figure of Manwel Dimech at Castille!!!!
Kevin Borg
Aug 16th 2008, 18:53
@ Charles Darmanin
Have you ever heard of Chivalry?
The goverment is being polite and asking over a roudy bunch for some civilised talk round a table. In my opinion that is one point for the goverment who is showing that politics are not done by bringing down castille door and the whole building or by taking to the street shouting as if armageddon was on the door step of earth.
Imagine if it had been the contrary, and instead of the current goverment there was "il-Perit". The meeting would have been surely done but in a cell and the discussion topic would have been the release of the protesters. And to some extent a cell is what those who incite violent protest deserve. But again, this is Malta, were uncivilised talk is the order of the day and crazy Meditteranean acts are as common as Shakesparean acts in Britian.
joe mifsud
Aug 16th 2008, 18:50
woow.....seems mr Tonio is really under pressure.......long live GWU !
Gerard Mangion
Aug 16th 2008, 18:19
@ kevin camilleri
The government decision to Invite the gwu for talks, on the ship yard Workers, shows how the
GOV' really wants to solve this issue to the Best of the Ship yard Worker, next Monday.
The Taxpayer yes, has a right to know where all those Million's of LM, ended up Lol
the tax payer already knows that !!!
there are very compatable workers and there are the ones who are Not, the rest is known by all.
Why can't some sort of scheme be done to these people registering for work especially over 50's ? instead of sending them to courses, like how to learn to read Maltese, ecc,ecc by Force or they will be cut from Registration, they are tax payers too ! with their age no one will work them, No one is Helping or say a word for them, They will have to SAY SIR TO EVERYTHING OR ELSE ! IS THIS THE TRUE JUSTIZJA SOCJALI, NO UNION HAS EVER SAID A WORD ABOUT THEM ! NO THEY ARE NOT LAZY ! THEY ARE THE IMSIEKEN ! AH OK WHO CARE'S NO NISFRUNDAWK, IVA SARIMA !
Charles Darmanin
Aug 16th 2008, 17:56
Now government waivering starts. Sammy Meilaq 1 - Government 0.
Albert Gauci Cunningham
Aug 16th 2008, 17:40
At last some common sense from the two sides........now can all those concerned please stop throwing mud at each other and make sure the Privatisation of this company, for which our country has paid dearly, is a sucessful one...............I think the way forward should be that the GWU allows anyone who wants to take the scheme up to go ahead and do it, once they can actually re-apply once the new "partner" is found!.........Those who remain "extra" should be given an employment in a Public entity for not more than 8 months or a year while following intensive courses at ETC and hopefully find another job. In that way the Government will not be inflating the problem by just employing these people as "permanent" Public employees but on the other hand ,at least, give them the benefit of "serhan il-mohh" until they can find another job. Against the impression I might have given or that which was given by certain bloggers I am not against the MDD workers....it's just that the GWU needs a PR brush up badly so as not to frighten most of the island away before it even opens its mouth!!
alex grech
Aug 16th 2008, 17:38
I work at the shipyard and i like the GWU watch your big mouth remeber that WE will have to face your actions in front of our new prospective employers. Do you really think your actions will get us any where grow up. Do you get it i hope you do. You are obliged and paid for to negotiate the best possible terms for us but let us decide. I believe you need to evaluate and listen to the workers and see they want and sort out the few works that either have no other skill or would like to stay on.
Adrian Bonanno
Aug 16th 2008, 17:25
@ J borg
Can government discriminate between UHM and GWU? Are employees of Malta shipyards 2nd class citizens?
J.Borg
Aug 16th 2008, 17:17
@ A. Bonanno
Aaaahhh...but that's the UHM and not the GWU my friend.
Adrian Bonanno
Aug 16th 2008, 17:05
I hope that the discrimination between those with a definite contract would be solved, in next Monday’s meeting. There are employees of Malta Shipyards that are excluded from the schemes because they have a definite contract and when their contract expires they will end up without a job and without any compensation.
Also last 7th December the government made an agreement with UHM where 1300 civil servants with a definite contract where given an indefinite contract. The agreement applied to government workers and civil servants who were on definite contract, even in cases where the four obligatory years have not been covered. The fact is that both these civil servants and shipyards employees are employed by the same government of Malta.
I don’t see any valid reason why these employees where given the status of indefine contract while Malta Shipyards workers were excluded? Can government discriminate between his employees? Hopefully with the help of GWU and the Minister in concern this anomaly would be solved and all employees of Malta Shipyards would be entitled to take a scheme, thus social justices would be enacted.
kevin camilleri
Aug 16th 2008, 16:43
Well done G.W.U. its about time that the government made such a decision after all what has been said on the shipyards workers it seems that even the government is taken his full responsibility of all the mis-management in the yards. We do hope now as tax payers an independent audit will take place as we as citizen have the right to know where all the millions taken out of our pockets ended up