10 years ago - The Times
Thursday, March 26, 2009
GO to cut workforce by 350
Telecoms company GO is planning to reduce its workforce by 350 “in the short term”, CEO David Kay told employees yesterday in a letter urging them to take up the voluntary retirement scheme that ends in May.
Ideally, Mr Kay said, the target is reached through the voluntary retirement schemes but if that failed “the decrease in headcount will be met via other measures”.
Toxic gas: Worker in hospital overnight
At least one employee of the Planning Authority remained in hospital after being exposed to toxic gas even if top officials said all staff had been released after medical check-ups.
After toxic gas prompted an evacuation of Hexagon House, in Marsa, officials at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said all employees had been discharged from hospital after being examined. However, at least one employee was held overnight in hospital under observation, the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin said yesterday. On Tuesday, Mepa chairman Austin Walker denied claims some workers were hospitalised, insisting they were released after medical checks.
25 years ago - The Times
Saturday, March 26, 1994
EU application: Decision on start of negotiations expected in June
The June Corfu summit of heads of government of the European Union is expected to decide when to start membership negotiations with Malta, European Parliament president Egon Klepsch said.
The European Parliament supports EU president Theodores Pangalos’ intention to set a date for the beginning of these negotiations, Dr Klepsch said when he arrived in Malta yesterday.
Dr Klepsch, who was conferred as Companion of Honour in the National Order of Merit by President Vincent Tabone, also referred to the present crisis in the EU over the number of votes needed to block a decision by the council.
All the member states, except the UK, have understood the need to increase the number of votes needed to block decisions from 23 to 27 once Austria and the Scandinavian countries became members, said Dr Klepsch.
On its part the European Parliament believes a blocking minority of 27 is the absolute minimum of the decision-making process within the EU is not to be made more difficult.
Half a century ago - Times of Malta
Wednesday, March 26, 1969
‘Encouraging small industries with good ideas’ – Sir Sadler Forster
Many aspects of industrial development, including the assistance the Malta Development Corporation intends to give to small-scale industries and the need of the worker, irrespective of his job, to give his best in the interest of the island’s economy, were stressed by Sir Sadler Forster, the corporation’s chairman, when he addressed the third social-cum-business meeting of the Federation of Malta Industries at the Hotel Phoenicia.
Dr V. Mercieca LLD, president, introduced the speaker to a large gathering of businessmen and guests led by Sir Geoffrey Tory, British High Commissioner.
Interspersed with humorous remarks, Sir Sadler’s one-hour talk was mainly on the work of the Corporation of its first year of operation.
Before Sir Sadler had even accepted the invitation to become chairman of the Corporation, he had made it clear that one of the real problems in Malta was the lack of an administrative machinery dealing exclusively with industrial development. He pointed out that in this age of great technological progress, it was necessary to have a group of people concerned only with this development.