All this violent speak is coming from a man who lives in a country where its illegal to play grand theft auto.

aussie fail.

Do you expect any better?

Here is an aide memoire as to what the situation was in Malta in May 1987: 8000 workers (yes eight thousand) with Malta Drydocks and Malta Shipbuilding (today there are 80); Kalaxlokk – 2000 workers (today nil); Airmalta (600 less staff), TeleMalta (1000 less staff), Posta/Maltapost 900 in 1987 (today 500); Waterworks/drainage dept 2600 (today 1600). The port controlled by Cargo Handling Company, a GWU company, whose contract was not renewed without any compensation.

No water in our taps, no doctors in our hospitals, an airport terminal without a baggage carousel, a coal-fired power station, 1 state TV station with one brand of colour TV; a telephone network donated by a third world country, with a waiting list stretching some 10 years; a leaking grain silo with gurbiena growing in it; a Freeport terminal without cranes, and lying idle, today privatised and employing 1300.

Forcibly nationalized banks which loaned money without any security if your colour was red. People smuggled currency in their shoes to go abroad because you were only allowed Lm500.

Back to the point about buses. These were self-employed bus owners. They are not government employees being given the sack. If we are to respect the value of a licence, then compensation is indeed due to them …Helga Ellul please note.

The 10-year job guarantee has a number of conditions that drivers must fulfill – including discipline.

Ms Ellul certainly has nothing to complain about – the very good subsidy for her huge factory , and a subsidy on the energy her factory consumes. Has she invested one single euro in photovoltaic cells at her plant? Oh come on, Helga – it seems you have been in Malta so long that even you have now become a moaner wanting everything for free.

We don’t blackmail anybody, Ronnie…..not unless we have to. Those days are over. We discuss and convince. And we reach agreements. That’s GRTU today….all 7000-odd members of it. Including the Gozo bus drivers, who will get a far worse deal than the Maltese ones, simply for being oltremare.

The link is not accessible – password restricted.

Maybe the suggestion of bringing in the army is a bit extreme, but yes decisions have to be taken. Legislation should be enacted which does not allow operators of essential services to strike.

Government cannot keep being blackmailed be it by the kaccaturi, drydocks, Airmalta baggage handlers, stevedores, taxi drivers, bus drivers, civil servants, nurses, doctor, GRTU, students …. the list is endless.

Government buys industrial peace at an extremely high price. If only they had the cojones to do the right thing and tell them all to f**ck off and thank their lucky stars that the ride has lasted so long.