The Forum of Trade Unions (FORUM) this morning urged the government to take courageous decision to end the current political situation because of its impact on the country.
The call was made by Forum president John Bencini outside the Mediterranean Conference Centre, where the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) is discussing the current situation at the request of the GWU. FORUM is not a member of the MCESD.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech is not present for the mcesd meeting, with Justice Minister Chris Said, who is also responsible for public dialogue, representing the government.
forum president John Bencini criticised the government for not amending the law to ensure that the forum was accepted as a member of the MCESD.
On the current situation, he said the trend in the EU was towards greater austerity, but he warned that this would stifle economic growth and was what Europe really needed.
The Maltese government, he said, should continue to insist on economic growth, job creation, social justice and the fight against worker exploitation.
On the local political situation, Mr Bencini said the country could not be left in a sense of uncertainty, with the people wondering when a general election would be held. The current situation, he said, was a distraction from the real issues, which were the economy and jobs. The government, he said, had to take courageous steps to end this crisis.
Asked what steps he was referring to, and whether an election should be called, Mr Bencini said the government needed to end this crisis, one way or another. He noted that Dr Gonzi had been critical of the fact that in 1998, electoral uncertainty had persisted for eight months. That situation, Mr Bencini said, should not be allowed to repeat itself and the government should certainly not use 1998 as an example. Two wrongs did not make a right.
On the Moody's downgrade, Mr Bencini said the government needed to clarify its position. The FORUM could not understand how in the past the government welcomed Moody's statements when they reaffirmed Malta's credit position, while now, after the downgrade, the government was saying Moody's was unfair.
The government should declare whether it regarded Moody's as credible or not.