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.