GWU says government ignored agreement for new dockyard operator to retain workers
Happier times - a busy scene at the dockyard.
The GWU has called on the government to urge new dockyard operator Palumbo to give preference in recruitment to workers who had stayed on at Malta Shipyards to the end.
Union General Secretary Tony Zarb told Finance Minister Tonio Fenech in a letter made public by the union that the GWU was disappointed that the government had not made it compulsory for Palumbo to retain the workers who were still on the dockyard's books.
He said that according to the agreement reached between the union and the government on September 5, 2008, the remaining dockyard workers were to be retained by the new operator.
Mr Fenech said earlier this week that Palumbo did not want to be obliged to retain the workers and it wanted to start with a clean slate, and new working conditions. He said the 60 remaining dockyard workers were being offered early retirement or employment with state-owned IPSL.
Mr Zarb said the GWU was also disappointed that the government had ignored former dockyard apprentices, who were now unemployed.
The government had also not laid down the minimum number of Maltese who would be employed by Palumbo. Nor had it insisted that current work and safety arrangements be retained. It seemed to be acceptable to the government that the workers would only have the minimum conditions laid down by law.
Mr Zarb regretted that the government had not been able to attract major operators to manage the shipyard. The government had also ignored suggestions for the setting up of a workers' cooperative, a suggestion made following advice by, among others, former minister John Dalli and former University Rector Peter Serracino Inglott.
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lgalea
Mar 25th 2010, 09:11
Mr Cassar, the pn apologists belong to a party that always hated Maltese workers and the lower classes of Maltese society because they considered themselves above the rest. Remember they even did not want the Maltese language to be given its rightful status and called it lingwa tal-kcina. They were always foreigners lackeys as history constantly bears out. I hope that the next PL government will clamp down on foreign workers and prevent foreign workers from being engaged in Malta.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Mar 25th 2010, 08:36
And yet dear Castillo..a study carried out by Profs Baldacchino this year clearly indicates that the GWU is still by far the largest union, and the signatory of the majority of collective agreements signed...Seems you'll have to wait some more....
R Caruana...so the management has absolute no responsibility in your little working world scenario?
J Micallf, its not about clout, but two parties honouring a signed agreement....so do you think agreements signed a year ago are now no longer valid and can be dropped at whim?
Marco Galea
Mar 24th 2010, 22:42
Tony Zarb and the militant GWU ... the workers of the Dockyard (the 60 left) including part of my family found a job ... they were told to report to the IPSL and will be paid!!! try to ruin what they just gained (because GWU's loudmouths will only hinder the privatization) and then face 60ppl's unemployment on your backs and a huge rebellion against you -- thats what you get GWU for being a political piece of clothing for others to clean their feet/hands and use you
Anthony Castillo
Mar 24th 2010, 21:21
Tony the workers are getting to understand who really wants the best for them. By loosing the 6th fleeth the GWU is finished and the only recourse just about left is the old timers section and pretty soon you guys have no where else with whom to make any collective agreements because the workers are fed up of making every thing in a political way.
lgalea
Mar 25th 2010, 09:07
Anthony Castillo Your pn government will be remembered as being the one who monkeyed Thatcher and speaks highly for its perpetual stance against the workers and the lower classes of society.
R. Caruana
Mar 24th 2010, 19:40
GWU, if anyone in there has the least interest in the docks ever regaining productivity, please lay your hands off! You've done enough to bring it to its knees, and saddled this country with a major chunk of its national debt.
J Micallef
Mar 24th 2010, 19:26
GWU and MLP must realise that theor clout on the drydocks has disappeared. It is a bitter pill for them, since they cannot use these workers anymore to create industrial havoc. we waited too long for this happen. In the meantime these people became richer and richer.
Charles Massa
Mar 24th 2010, 19:25
MMhux hekk issa igibu lil barranin u ihalsuhom bis soldi u l Maltin isaffru bla xoghol. Grazzi PN
Jeremy J Camilleri
Mar 24th 2010, 18:52
Do J Farrugia or Patrick Mifsud have any idea what an agreement is?
lzammit
Mar 24th 2010, 18:50
Now you just stand there and watch Ton
laurence schembri
Mar 24th 2010, 18:24
Come on guys, we`re only talking about 60 workers, unless of course you prefer Neapolitans.
Anthony Baldacchino
Mar 24th 2010, 18:23
Nahseb iktar qabel taqbdu u titkellmu bl-addocc taraw x`inhi il-veru problema?
Jiena nhoss li dan kollu huwa ghaliex it-tarzna l-gdida, li suppost kellha futur taht il-PN ghax hekk gie mwieghed :) nahseb li gejjien jahdmu barranin bic-cheap labour. Jiena nahseb li iz-zmien jghatina parir. Wait and see.
mario gellel
Mar 24th 2010, 18:20
NIFTAKAR FIZ-ZMIEN IL-HAKMA INGLIZA, META IL-BARRANIN KIENU L-OWNERS U AHNA IL- MALTIN KONNHA IS-SEFTURI TAL HABBA ZIZ.
J Farrugia
Mar 24th 2010, 17:59
with a union like the GWU who wants to acquire a financially ruined and bankrupt drydocks. Purchase it yourself Tony and you'll make it viable with your mate as Chairman. There wont be any strikes or anything. So please dear Tony, with the owners' money, they'll do what they want and no GWU will ever impose anything on the owner of the MDD. A new page a new leaf and good speed to the new owners. And above all, THERE WILL BE NO MORE POLITICS IN THE YARD. NO INCITERS AND NO NOTHING. ONLY WORK FOR THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO WORK AND HAVE THE SKILLS.
M Cassar
Mar 24th 2010, 18:54
J Farrugia so first you let a company go bankrupt without trying to be efficient and finding alternatives so that then you will have an excuse to sell it. Why don't they just sell the entire country. Ofcourse they wouldn't otherwise the people would realise what's going on, but sell it bit by bit.. Banks, sea malta, Airmalta maybe next? (I invite people to give us a list of every public entity sold by Pn in 20 years)..make some money for yourself, and then claim that it was making a loss. With this strategy the people will not realise that they have slowly sold everything that was ours. It's called inefficiency and deceit if you ask me. If a company is not sustainable then an alternative should be found immediately instead of giving subsidies for years so that later you can justify selling out.
patrick mifsud
Mar 24th 2010, 17:29
is mr Zarb worried that they will not have any represantations at the new Docks?