Matthew Xuereb
Supermarkets hit by Sicilian strike
The truckers’ strike in Sicily may have brought the Italian island to a standstill but its effects are also being felt in Malta with supermarket stocks slowly dwindling.
The strike action is blocking ports and preventing trucks from loading goods, including those destined for Malta, hitting, among others, the five Lidl supermarkets across the island. Shoppers have reported that shelves are half empty.
Questions sent to Lidl’s media centre based in Italy were met with a dry reply: “Thank you for your interest in Lidl but we do not wish to make a statement on this matter.”
The Times visited a number of Lidl shops and observed that they were out of fresh produce, which is normally brought in every day on trailers from Sicily. The freezers were practically empty and meat stocks had shrunk.
Sources close to the supermarket chain said the stores’ stocks of food with a longer shelf life were also running out.
The strike action was ordered by the association representing Sicilian truck drivers, Associazione Imprese Autotrasportatori Siciliani. It is expected to last until Thursday, unless a solution to the problem is found before then.
The truck drivers have blocked entrances and exits of the ports in Pozzallo and Catania and also jammed roads and motorways in Palermo.
The truck drivers’ main gripe is the price of fuel which they believe has reached “unsustainable levels”.
They are also saying that the present system means the cost of transporting goods is higher than that of the actual product.
One truck driver, Costa Manfredini, said they wanted the Italian government to do something about their complaints. No action had been taken so far, he said, despite a strike action that has lasted nearly two weeks.
The road blocks caused by heavy goods vehicles were starting to break up but it would take time to return to normal, he added.
Most of the goods in Italy are transported by road. Initial estimates by experts in Italy show that the Italian agricultural sector has so far lost about €200 million in revenue.
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Mr M Briffa Viva malta
Jan 29th, 20:05
i do not know whether its for real or not , but someone said that if the strikes prolongs many shops will be laying off staff including the youngsters at the checkout by Lidl.,
louis brincat
Jan 28th, 18:56
go to zejtun branch and its comlpetely EMPTY. I was there yesterday
Angelo Vassallo
Jan 28th, 18:24
The supermarket that I do my shopping in was fully stocked this morning usual and no shelve was seen empty. What was empty were the trolley bays.
@ Anthony Portelli
You just cannot become more PATHETIC than that.
louis brincat
Jan 28th, 19:01
can you tell me which one is this as the one in zejtun is half empty
Anthony Portelli
Jan 28th, 14:22
"GonziPN" anyone?
John Azzopoardi
Jan 28th, 16:02
How moranic. What does this have have to the Sicilian strike. Get real.
Lino Parascandalo
Jan 28th, 20:17
what a close and narrow mind you have mate...... tell me what does this have to do with the Maltese government !!!
Reinhard Azzopardi
Jan 28th, 21:10
Typical labourite mentality believing that Malta's the centre of the universe. Where the hell do you think we get our foodstuffs from? Jaqghu mis-sema bhal manna? If you think that our tiny island can grow enough produce to feed 400,000 people all year round, THINK AGAIN!
Diane Vella
Jan 29th, 09:03
@Reinhard Azzopardi: Iceland can!!!!
Steve Sant
Jan 28th, 13:40
Thats a good way of getting rid of your old stock.
joe briffa
Jan 28th, 13:15
This proves that Malta can NEVER be independent....and buying Maltese is not even a solution...or the point
John Azzopoardi
Jan 28th, 16:01
LOL.............no one can be totally independent today. Even those countries that have many natural resources. Are you joking or something. y
Hans Weber
Jan 28th, 12:57
I suppose we foreigners living in Gozo will be spending double the amount we would have spent at lidl's, cause lets fact it all Maltese supermarkets and corner shops are alot pricey then Lidl's for more of less the same items.
A. Agius
Jan 28th, 21:44
Mr. Weber, I suggest you check out prices offered at local stores carefully and you will find stores which can match Lidl's prices; even in Gozo. I am saying this out of research and without any hidden intentions.
DAvid Aquilina
Jan 28th, 12:23
BUY FROM MALTESE SUPERMARKETS AND HELP THE MALTESE ECONOMY. LIDL's MONEY IS GOING TO OTHER COUNTRIES ......
louis brincat
Jan 28th, 18:56
You rae 100 per cent correct
Ms Margaret Williams
Jan 29th, 00:18
I don't think so somehow, its giving alot of Maltese youngsters a job for a start, and secondly what counts is what i got left in my pocket as as a person. why should i pay for example 3euros for a perisable item where as i can buy the equivelent at Lidl's for less. Any Answers David Aquilina unless you got plenty of cash to spare on weekly shopping. I am not bias but sorry i think and also alot of other outsiders who are familier with Lidl's in their country know that shopping at lidl's or Aldi's (which i haven't seen as yet in Malta) is value for money end of story.
Jennifer Grech
Jan 29th, 02:25
and maltese money is going into the pockets of the corrupt NOT the economy, i will stick to foreign products, years ago i remember we could not get foreign products and people were grumbling, now we can and know the difference in qaulity and price do you think people want to go backwards,
John Azzopoardi
Jan 28th, 12:06
That is ok. There are other products maltese can buy. Buy maltese
Louis Craus
Jan 28th, 15:01
Foreign products are cheaper than the locals. ............like the choclates and toothpaste...........do you remember so years ago .........you wanted to buy the foreign chocolates? Now I have learned to buy foreign products and not, local products.
Jennifer Grech
Jan 29th, 02:19
no thank you . malta has outpriced its self, foreign products are higher qaulity and cheaper
John Azzopoardi
Jan 29th, 15:56
Ms Grech not true. Just a very small example I can give you...........Italian cheeses are the most expensive and sometimes don't even taste too good. Another example is the cheap price our famers are getting for oranges and lemons because we over saturate the market with foreign produce. And you know what, if you compare our oranges and lemons with foreign ones, you really don't now what reality is.
R Malia
Jan 28th, 11:10
Not just supermarkets but every business which imports by palettes and not by air is effected.
Chris Harris
Jan 29th, 19:56
Yes my dear Jennifer, not all that but also if one shops at lidl's one, the sooner some itmes are shelved or placed on the counters, \Bingo the local Maltese in malta that is, just whip the lot off the shelves in no time, what i'm saying is that alot of fruit and veg are freshly delivered from Italy and are always on the move, so there are no sell-by date greens, including meats and dsairy products. Pity there is no Lidl's on Gozo, but these people are always late to realize that what matters now a days is value for money and the sooner they realizes this the better it would be all round, I actually know of LIdl in about 20 countries including multi outlets. so whats rong with the Gozitans then, are they afraid of competition or what.Talking about a sleepy island, more like a dead-un.
Pavlaki Pano Aroditis
Jan 28th, 10:02
I suspect it is not just Lidl that has been affected but all supermarkets, and by extension, pretty much could affect most food stocks in Malta. In terms of food importation, the island is pretty much dependent on inputs from Sicily, much as it has been for the past 500 years.
Peter Murray
Jan 28th, 12:17
This will without doubt have an effect upon Malta but impacting nothing like you suggest as our dependency on Siciliy or Italy for supplying a lot of our needs has been drastically reduced and lessened -but if this industrial action originated in the UK then we would be in trouble.
Peter Murray
Jan 28th, 09:32
One of the inevitable outcomes, with many more yet to come, of unfair and unjust austerity measures imposed upon innocent people which,in any event ,are counter-productive even without any industrial actions?