Remove laid-back civil servants, union general secretary insists

Trade unionist Gejtu Vella has called on the Prime Minister to get rid of public officers who were acting as stumbling blocks rather than contributing for small industrial disputes to be ironed out.

"If there are people who are failing to assume responsibility, remove them," Mr Vella, the general secretary of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, said in a short but strong-worded speech.

He expressed concern that he had to go to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi with trivial problems that could have easily been solved by other public officers.

"In a structure of hierarchy, decisions should be taken at the appropriate level rather than having to come to you," Mr Vella told Dr Gonzi.

He said that when problems in the private sector emerged, they were solved quickly but those in the public sector dragged on for months.

Mr Vella asked why the union had to regularly order industrial action rather than find solutions to problems. "Let us discuss and find solutions," he said, adding that union officials were dedicating an "exorbitant amount of energy" on little things.

He asked Dr Gonzi to find some time to discuss the matter with the aim of solving it and moving on to concentrate on bigger problems.

Speaking during an activity held as part of the union's 43rd anniversary celebrations, Dr Gonzi said that during last week's visit to the US he had meetings aimed at attracting investment to Malta.

"Malta remains an attractive place for investors," he said, reiterating what he had said during a mass meeting just before he left for the US. Although he did not give any details about any investment, he said this should translate into new opportunities that would be revealed in the coming weeks.

Dr Gonzi criticised those who tried to make light of the global financial crisis. "What happens in Wall Street will affect us in Kirkop," he said in an indirect reference to STMicroelectronics, which last February had said it would be cutting its workforce in Malta by between 400 and 450 through layoffs and natural wastage. This, he added, was a time to take decisions rather than retain the status quo.

Dr Gonzi said the government's stimulus packages amounted to about 1.6 per cent of the gross domestic product and had saved about 2,500 jobs. The solution was not to go for cheap labour but to retain good working conditions and go for sustainable work.

He stressed the importance of retaining workers, especially women, adding that 3,600 mothers who had continued working after having children had benefitted from a government incentive of a one-year tax break.

While the public sector had been a pioneer in family-friendly measures, despite initial scepticism, the private sector was still lagging behind when it came to such measures.

Dr Gonzi said the government's economic policy, especially in the upcoming budget, should be aimed to improve the country's competitiveness and productivity, adding that during discussions about the pre-budget document there seemed to be consensus about the country's priorities.

He reiterated his commitment to have a balanced budget and said that, despite the effects of the global recession, he would not remove stipends, which were an important tool to encourage students to continue with their studies that would, in turn, attract investment.