Christopher Bezzina, Qrendi
Participation in trade unions' protests (1)
In the article Unions Condemn Insults At PM, Nationalist MPs, I read with a degree of perplexity that "Mr John Bencini, who had led the protest with GWU general secretary Tony Zarb, said he went straight home and followed the debate from there because he was 'disgusted' at the insults hurled by the demonstrators at the government MPs". Given that Mr Bencini holds the post of president of the Malta Union of Teachers, and keeping in mind that the teaching profession has the responsibility for the education of future generations, I would suggest the immediate introduction of a new subject in the National Minimum Curriculum, namely "Developing the Skill of Foresight"! Perhaps this would ensure that future presidents of the teachers' union would be more judicious in deciding what sort of events they should participate in.
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lgalea
Mar 5th 2010, 09:31
J Martinelli You are TOTALLY out of touch with what happens in Malta. Or if you are not you just want to twist history to suit you Martinelli, but fortunately there are records of what happened, records that you cannot deny.
Carmel J. Caruana
Mar 5th 2010, 07:10
John Bencini is the most intelligent and certainly the best leader the MUT has ever had. He works tirelessly for the members of his union and also elevated the national status of his union through higher level of social engagement. Educators should not limit their activities in the education of future generations to within the four walls of a classroom. He has acted as any real union leader should have - led the protests against the tariffs as every politicially independent union leader should have done and yet showing publicly his disapproval of unacceptable public behavior. I am sure Mr Bencini was very much aware of what could happen during the protest as I am sure he had decided in advance what action to take if the incidents eventually materialized. Keep it up Mr Bencini don't let such letters as the above dampen your spirit.
c.camilleri
Mar 4th 2010, 17:26
If John Bencini had not the foresight of things to come at the meeting he should leave his job and make way for a better person. It is a pity that John Bencini will end his career with such a sour note. It is a pity that his actions are just fragmenting the Mut with many members vouching not to renew their membership.
The so called national protest was just a labour party meeting and nothing else. Judging by his past in similar circumstances when Alfred Sant raised our bills, no one in his right mind would believe that Tony Zarb is genuine.
laurence schembri
Mar 4th 2010, 15:02
Such is life Christopher, you lead yours and let others get on with theirs.
T Camilleri
Mar 4th 2010, 13:56
If the creme-de-la creme at the university insulted Dr Sant and everyone knows what insults were hurled at Evarist Bartolo in 1998 during the students demonstrations, what do you expect from those whom the pn apologists call the lower class, although I have absolutely no doubt that the lower class could teach a lot to the creme-de-la-creme.
J Martinelli
Mar 4th 2010, 13:51
@ Gerard Cassar
Tell the whole story Mr.Cassar. Was that not the time when the Labour Party, more particularly Dr.Sant, tried to introduce what he called the 'reception class'? Was he not giving the wrong information regarding the lengthening of the primary school years thus extending by one year graduation from secondary and tertiary education? Did he not prove that he did not even understand how this system worked in the UK ?
Did Dr. Sant not ask a silly question to the students and for that reason he got a not so civil a reaction, but, after all, quite an expected one?
Tony Lia
Mar 4th 2010, 13:02
I have heard and read a lot about the insults thrown at the Prime Minister and other nationalisit MP`s at last Monday`s protest march. But I have heard and read nothing way back in the years when during a nationalst political meetING the crowd was shouting SALBU SALBU for so many times.
Gerard Cassar
Mar 4th 2010, 12:20
And what about the cream of the educated people at the University inviting Dr.Alfred Sant to make a speech and was received by a storm of personal attacks by the students. That was a show of tolerance a show of gentlemanly conduct! Was it not a show of bad education. Even the Prime Minister Dr. Gonzi saw fit to defend the rowdy students and felt that there was nothing wrong in their conduct. Preaching by example! He considered it as a natural and spontaneous demonstration of feelings.
And the voice of no more than 50 people amongst a crowd of thousands and thousands, the whole crowd is condemned and considered as an example of trouble makers.
And who can definitely state it was not the voice of what we call “agents provocateurs" mixing with the crowd as a nucleus to give the wrong impression.
Hypocrisy