The Malta Drydocks is old, decrepit and irrelevant in modern shipping; it is a throwback from colonial days. Past and present Labour politicians and union officials have always tried to portray it as a sort of Holy Grail which, to their reasoning, can make or break the Maltese economy.

At long last, the government has seen the light and has realised that the set-up is lost in the annals of history and what we really need is a realistic study into how this tract of land can be developed for shipping or other more lucrative ventures.

Lino Spiteri (The Sunday Times, August 17) made me realise that insularity has prevented most people from thinking in modern technological terms. The drydocks facility is as relevant as St Luke's Hospital.

The political tension that this sacred enterprise generates is such that the government has deemed it necessary to give generous handouts to placate the workers' ire, a thing which it failed to do with other workers.

The unions, backed by Labour, are doing a disservice to the workers when they reduce the whole problem to a matter of militancy and normal union activities. They are shining a bright light in the workers' faces, hindering rational thinking. Shouting threats and other hysterical manifestations will not solve their problems.

The way forward calls for good, dispassionate debate on what interested parties have to offer and make an intelligent decision based on current technology and the national interest. We cannot afford the upkeep of this museum called 'Malta Drydocks'.