Why impose on them a chairman they don’t want?
Only two of the eight social partners did not object to having John Bencini as chairman of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development: the General Workers Union and the union organisation FORUM.
Yet still the prime minister imposed him on them. Why?
That’s what we need to be looking at.
Some are of the opinion that he promised Bencini this post and had to keep his word. Well, I don’t know about that. Muscat is the ultimate amoral pragmatist, and he certainly wouldn’t have any qualms about going back on his word, if indeed he gave his word, as long as it suited him to do so.
I’ll put it this way: if he’s making calculations about the risks attendant on cheesing off Bencini, then surely he’s also making the same calculations about the risks of cheesing off six major stakeholders whose support he needs.
So my conclusion is that he knows quite well that there are risks attached to annoying the social partners and still he’s determined to go right ahead and annoy them because his objective actually is to annoy them.
They gave him the names of a couple of extremely Labour people they would find acceptable – Alfred Mifsud and Joe Vella Bonnici – and still the PM insisted on John Bencini.
Now you just have to work out why he wants to annoy them. I haven’t been able to do so yet. It needs some more thought.
Meanwhile, there’s a good piece on timesofmalta.com about this. I’ve put the link below. Even Tony Zahra of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, who spent much of the electoral campaign testifying for Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party, is really annoyed about this.
WELL, WHAT CAN I SAY, TONY? AREN’T YOU THE ONE WHO VOTED FOR CHANGE AND TOLD US TO DO LIKEWISE? YOU’VE GOT YOUR CHANGE: JOHN BENCINI. NOW PUT HIM IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE HIM.
24 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130404/local/Disappointment-as-Bencini-is-made-MCESD-chairman.464166
http://www.di-ve.com/news/social-partners-disappointed-mcesd-chairman
Now where is Ramona Frendo to pontificate about meritocracy?
He wants to annoy them so that they will take action, call strikes etc and then blame the eventual economic disaster (something which Muscat fears might happen under his watch, because he has no long-term strategies) in Malta on them.
My hunch is that Alfred Mifsud and Joe Vella Bonnici are being kept in the wings for better positions. Perhaps Central Bank governor and permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, six months down the line.
Totally agree, friend. These two reds have done very well, pseudo-lying in the weeds, while feathering their own beds.
Vella Bonnici is not as strong on the econmic front as he purports. In fact, quite weak. Dealt with him when the Nats left him as CEO of Malta Enterprise.(or whatever it was called back then).
Mifsud is a bilious, anti-everything good, sinister individual, since being turfed out of his cushy job when Mid Med Bank was taken over by HSBC. I’m sure his bro will give him a reference.
Both cannot wait to get their revenge.
Central Bank Governor and Deputy Governor roles are protected from government intervention. A wise move indeed, implemented to protect the position whose job it is, occasionally, to oppose the government spending and financial plans.
I do not know how long the governor’s term is, but he will carry it out till the end. (ECB watchdogs that one).
He can always be made to “resign voluntarily”. As other have. Do you think the ECB or anyone else can stop Joseph Muscat? Vae victis.
Maybe the MCESD is an obstacle in front of Joseph Muscat so Bencini could be the catalyst for it to implode, then blame the social partners.
GWU taghti “puxxjatura” lil-Joseph Muscat.
Joseph Muscat jaghti “puxxjatura” lil-GWU.
Is-social partners l-ohra fil-kunsill joghoqodu jinfiskaw bejniethom u, b’hekk aljenati, jigu mifruda u allura newtralizzati.
It-triq tibqa bla ostakli u miftuha ghal Joseph Muscat u l-GWU biex jghaffgu flimkien u kif iridu.
Izda imma, din id-darba mhux biz-zwieg bhal fi zmien Mintoff ghaliex, taf int, issa sirna progressivi.
I suspect that his objective is to neuter the MCESD in order to avoid the scrutiny of the non-union social partners.
The alternative would be to disband the MCESD, but that would not look good so the only option is to maintain the MCESD but make it irrelevant.
To some degree, it’s a carefully calculated strategy which mimics Franco Debono’s appointment to chair the Constitutional Convention, thereby ensuring that the Opposition does not cooperate (and probably nobody else will, either).
At a quick guess I’d say that Muscat’s reasons for cheesing off the members of the MCESD would be similar to his reasons for cheesing off the PN with the appointment of Franky Tabone for the constitutional rehash.
He simply wants to throw a spanner in the works. Cripple the MCESD from within, rendering it ineffectual so he can legitimately bulldoze right over the social partners.
I think it is a strategy to give the GWU an upper hand over the other unions especially UHM and the GRTU.
Perhaps, Joseph Muscat just wants to show the social partners that he’s the boss and what he says goes.
For the past few years, Bencini has been completely dominated by Tony Zarb.
It was Tony Zarb’s ultimate power over Bencini that led to Bencini being forced to leave the Forum.
So it is obvious that Muscat’s choice is the GWU’s choice. Moreover, Bencini is a weak character.
A weak MCESD Chair effectively means a weak MCESD, which will suit JM fine.
Divide and rule.
Mintoffianomics and Mintoff-politik.
I’d go with this as a base and again, as with Franco Debono and Anglu Farrugia, there seems to be a pattern establishing itself reserved for switchers and traitors, that suggests a very mean humour: placements that make a mockery of them.
In this case the traitors would be Anglu,who made publicly disparaging remarks about JM, and Jason -by omission, who said he wouldn’t contest the elections and did.
Classic inferiority complex.
Pussy-whipped loser.
I am getting a very uneasy feeling about the GWU and the role they are playing in the very early days of this legislature. Most ministers seem to be going out of their way to meet up with Zarb & Co and their man has already been planted at the top of the civil service tree. There is more to this than meets the eye. It was Mintoff that had a special marriage with the GWU – and Joseph? What exactly does he owe Tony Zarb?
And what has become of the Oil Scandal ? Suddenly all has gone quiet or have I missed something?
If Joseph really believed in meritocracy and inclusion, he would have placed Gejtu Vella as MCESD chairman.
If the majority at MCED do not favour Bancini; then Bencini, if he has just a littlr bit of character, should decline the post – but of course, knowing Bencini’s arse-licking, a loving show-off, he will stay put.
Bencini is another of Muscat’s useful tools. Muscat doesn’t want anyone to interfere with his enjoyment of his absolute monarchy. He has shed all responsibility onto his retinue of servants.
Do you mean ‘useful tools’ or useful idiots?
The reason is that the PL doesn’t like the MCESD and wants to get rid of it.
Bencini is the type of person who will tell you one thing and in a few minutes says the complete opposite.
Ask any minister who had to deal with him. Mr. Bencini had several issues with most of the organisations represented on the MCESD and will make a complete mess of it.
The PL will be happy and can continue doing its thing whilst the social partners argue. Typical divide and conquer.