10 years ago - The Times
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Shipyards’ privatisation: ministry rubbishes Labour’s IPSL idea
The Finance Ministry yesterday rubbished Labour leader Joseph Muscat’s idea for dockyard workers to be given the option to join IPSL Ltd, saying this jarred with the MLP’s own criticism in 2003 when the company was set up to employ the workers shed during the yards’ restructuring exercise.
While accusing the government of throwing money at the shipyard problem by offering early retirement schemes to the tune of €49 million, Dr Muscat’s idea would increase the workforce in the civil service at a cost of €40 million a year, the ministry said.
The ministry was reacting to comments made by Dr Muscat during a meeting he had with the General Workers’ Union on Thursday.
Dr Muscat had said the MLP wanted the shipyards’workers to be productive rather than receive money from an early retirement scheme to stay home.
The ministry said that in 2003, when the workers were given the IPSL option, the MLP had argued that valuable skills were being lost because their trades would not be utilised in a productive manner. Now Dr Muscat was calling IPSL (Industrial Projects and Services Ltd) a success story.
25 years ago - The Times
Monday, August 9, 1993
Comino no-go area rules being ignored
Swimmers’ lives are being put at risk by boat owners violating the no-go area in Comino, an environment group claims.
Moviment għall-Ambjent said the regulations, introduced earlier this year to protect swimmers, were being ignored.
The group said the area needed a beach warden to ensure that the regulations were enforced. The movement also felt that the boat-free zone was not big enough.
Some workplaces are ‘not fit for animals’
The need for a trades union council was highlighted by General Workers’ Union vice-president Edmond Mallia when addressing the biennial general conference of the Chemical and General Workers’ Section.
He said that had it been up to the GWU, the council would have been set up long ago. Mr Mallia said he was afraid the council was not yet set up because some union leaders had not yet felt the need for it. He warned that if antiquated and prejudiced ideas were not put aside, it could be too late. No union could be managed on old-fashioned ideas.
Half a century ago - Times of Malta
Friday, August 9, 1968
Tug boat gives chase off Gozo
One day after the introduction of the coastal patrol service by the Malta Joint Towage Services, a tug boat escorted to Grand Harbour a small Italian fishing boat suspected of carrying smuggled goods.
The incident occurred in the morning when the tug boat St Rocco was patrolling the coast in Gozo. The fishing boat was berthed in Ħondoq ir-Rummien, an inlet in Gozo, and some members of her crew were reported to have been ashore. It is understood that the fishing boat was chased by the tug boat for some time before she was escorted to Grand Harbour.
Governor General’s call for blood donors
The Governor General Sir Maurice Dorman yesterday urged people to become blood donors.
Sir Maurice was speaking at the launch of the Blood Donors Campaign by the Administrative Committee of the Blood Transfusion Centre (Blood Bank), set up jointly by the Maltese Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Cathedral Chapter.
“If you see one of your friends who has been involved in an accident and is in great need of blood, would you not give it to him there and then? Then why not give it now,” he said.