10 years ago - The Times

Friday, August 8, 2008

Give ’yard workers a real choice, says Labour leader

Shipyards workers should be given the option to join IPSL if they do not opt for an early retirement scheme, Labour Leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday.

IPSL is a public company that had absorbed workers from the restructuring of Malta Drydocks and Malta Shipbuilding prior to EU membership. These workers perform services in the public sector such as embellishment works for local councils. When the last restructuring of the yards was carried out in 2003, the workers could choose to stay on, opt for early retirement or join IPSL.

Describing IPSL as a success story, Dr Muscat said his proposal would give workers a real choice because, as things stand now, workers have only been  given a Hobson’s choice: either accept the retirement schemes or the shipyards would go bankrupt and shut down.

Asked whether this meant he was backing the idea that the 1,000 “extra” employees be redeployed in the Civil Service, Dr Muscat said this issue involved no more than 400 workers.

Dr Muscat was speaking during a meeting with the General Workers’ Union a day after the government announced four schemes offered to the 1,627 shipyard workers who are on an indefinite contract.

25 years ago - The Sunday Times

Sunday, August 8, 1993

Possibility of Kuwaiti contracts for Malta

The Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy, Qasim Omar Alyagout, addressing a news conference, yesterday explained the demarcation of the international boundary between Iraq and Kuwait.

The final report on it was presented by the UN secretary general to the president of the Security Council. It was drawn up by the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission set up for the purpose in 1991, after invading Iraqi troops were ejected from the country.

Mr Alyagout said he, together with 15 others, had been entrusted with the mission of going round the world telling foreign ministers about the latest developments.

Before coming to Malta, the Kuwaiti Ambassador went to Slovakia, San Marino and Italy. From Malta he will be going to Cyprus. He said the established boundary was now presenting Kuwait as it used to be before the August 1990 Iraqi invasion.

The infrastructure of Kuwait was almost completely destroyed. There were killings, burnings and rapes. During his meeting with Foreign Minister Guido de Marco, Mr Alyagout said they discussed the possibility of awarding contracts to Maltese companies in the reconstruction of Kuwait.

Half a century ago - Times of Malta

Thursday, August 8, 1968

Protest strike sequel – another dispute at Drydocks

A number of fitters and shipwrights left their workplaces at Malta Drydocks yesterday. Some of the more militant union members refused to work alongside two fitters – one a non-Union member – who had reported for duty on Friday, July 26, when the GWU called a 24-hour protest strike against the government.

The two fitters, and five other employees in the Wages Section and Accounts Section, had been on special leave. This was granted by the management after a number of Union members had demanded that those who reported for work on the day of the strike should be transferred to other departments. The management had given these employees leave for tempers to cool down. But on their return yesterday, some workmates maintained their previous attitude. 

Breakwater at Marsalforn

Public Works Department employees are working round the clock on the construction of a new breakwater at Marsalforn Bay, Gozo. Concrete blocks, which will serve as the foundation of the breakwater, were lowered on to the seabed on Monday night.

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