Updated: Strike at St John's: Foundation accused of strike-breaking
(Adds reaction by St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation)
The president of the Professionals and Services Employees Union this morning accused the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation of calling in strike-breakers after employees were called out on a one-hour strike.
Karmenu Vella said the strike was a success, with 10 of the 13 employees on duty having walked out.
A spokesman for the foundation said that despite the strike, it was "business as usual".
Mr Vella said the foundation had called in employees who were not due to be working today, in an attempt to break the strike.
Although St John’s Cathedral and the museum remained open, they were under-manned. Queues at the door were longer than they usually were on Mondays, he said.
Mr Vella said industrial action, which could take various forms, would continue until the foundation agreed to talks on all pending issues and not just the collective agreement for part-time custodians.
He said the union had, so far, not ordered an all-day strike so as not to cause problems for the tourism industry – nearly 4,000 tourists visit St John’s and the museum every day.
He said various problems needed to be discussed, including working conditions and the level of consultation between the two sides.
Cynthia DeGiorgio, speaking for the foundation, said yesterday that a meeting had been due to be held last Wednesday but was cancelled because the shop steward was on leave.
Mr Vella said the meeting was cancelled because the foundation only wanted to discuss the collective agreement of the part-timers, although, he acknowledged, the union did request the meeting to be held after August 18.
In a comment this morning, Ms DeGiorgio said the workers who had come in to work were not union members and had accepted to work when requested. She said it was "business as usual" at the Co-Cathedral.
"St John’s is the most visited site in Malta, the majority of visitors are tourists, and we have an obligation to serve them," Ms DeGiorgio said.
She added that the foundation had requested the Director of Industrial Relations to call a conciliation meeting with the trade union.
The strike ended at 11.30 a.m.
10 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
L.Gauchi
Aug 19th 2008, 05:57
4000 visitors a day!. That certainly is a successfull business and I don't blame the owners of the building,(which ultimately I believe happens to be the Government) trying to milk more money.It's not a tiny canteen they need, but a 400 seater restaurant .
Unfortunately,and eventually, unless something is done here and now to stop this ridiculous idea gaining momentum ,they will probably get it ,proving that God and Mammon,an unlikely duo, are alive ,well and prospering in Malta.
Peter Muscat
Aug 19th 2008, 00:02
@catherine galea
Wow ! So you are proud being a strike breaker ? Proud to act against your fellow workers ? This is really incredible !!! Solidarity at its best !!! I heard that one of the strike breakers was an ex-shopsteward of the GWU. If this is true I wonder where all our Christians values have gone. And the significance of Trade Unions in today's world of egoism and hate. You really shocked me Ms Galea !
M. Mizzi
Aug 18th 2008, 22:27
I do agree with Catherine Galea. It is really bad timing to turn against one's employers when it is being attacked from all quarters for a proposal it has made (its only a proposal dammit and still has to run the gamut of consultations, experts' reports, MEPA's permit procedures, etc).
It seems to me that St John's success is provoking all the usual envy. We just can't stand seeing something doing well. All manner of accusations have been flung against the foundation including the fact that it is being run as a business. Of course it is ! How else does a modern museum survive in competition with so many other entertainment options available to the public. How else would the staff be paid? How else would essential restoration to the priceless treasures be undertaken? We expect St John's to be totally free and to be restored to perfection but don't want to pay the price for it.
The staff should be pulling together to support their employer (and their jobs) not attacking their employer at its most vulnerable moment. If they kick me when i'm down i most certainly wouldn't want those people on my team!
James A. Tyrrell
Aug 18th 2008, 21:03
@Catherine Galea. If as you say the Co-Cathedral receives 4000 tourists a day every day, then surely going by your reasoning it would be a shame to strike at any time. You say that you are a strike-breaker and proud of it, well I see very little to be proud of. If as it would seem these workers have a legitimate reason to resort to industrial action, the use of strike breakers better known as 'scabs' is not a very Christian way to deal with the situation. And for you to say that you are proud to be a 'scab' is very strange.
Obviously I don't know you but as a union member myself you seem to be displaying all the natural attributes of what we know as 'brown tonguing'. This is someone who attempts to climb socially and professionally by licking up to management. Personally speaking I'd rather get to where I'm going without the bad taste in my mouth.
catherine galea
Aug 18th 2008, 18:09
It is a shame to strike during such a time when every body knows that almost about 4000 tourists visit the Cathedral every day.I am a strike breaker and I am proud to say that buisness was as usual thanks for the cooperation between us strike breakers and the administration. We have to appreciate what we have .
C. Mizzi
Aug 18th 2008, 15:23
Its a shame on the Foundation to ill-treat its workers in the House of God ! A good example indeed ! The Foundation also used strike breakers ! This is really shameful coming from an entity owned by the Goverment and the Church !
Iris Azzopardi
Aug 18th 2008, 14:19
@J Tonna
If the whole exercise is intended merely to increase revenue, why not go the whole hog and build flats or a hotel on the site? Who knows, you may even receive a cheque for a few cents as a tax refund!
J. Tonna
Aug 18th 2008, 13:47
@ MsAzzopardi, as you, probably, know The Co Cathedral belongs to the Church and the Government. So if the Foundation does not collect enough money, you and us will have to pay for it (thro our taxes). If you are prepared to pay I am not.
J Farrugia
Aug 18th 2008, 12:14
your reasoning is ridiculous.
Iris Azzopardi
Aug 18th 2008, 11:45
'She said it was "business as usual" at the Co-Cathedral'
The Foundation clearly sees St John's as a business. No wonder they want to build a cafe and souvenir shop over the churchyard!