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Austin Gatt, resign - Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici

The Chairman of the Campaign for National Independence (CNI), Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, yesterday called for the resignation of the Minister for Investment, Industry and Technology Austin Gatt… for 10 reasons.

“First, because he had been charged to privatize Sea Malta, that is to sell the Government shares to the private sector, but failed and instead is going to close down the company.

Secondly, because he had a duty to get as much as possible for the people from the sale of the shares but he didn’t succeed to get one single cent.

Third, because his mandate was to sell the Government shares but instead of selling them he gave freely, as a gift, the Sea Malta goodwill and work.

Fourth, because he had a duty to seek the best offer for the buying of the shares but instead sought the second best after the best offer was withdrawn he just gave the goodwill and work of the company to his friends Sullivan while the people got absolutely nothing.

Fifth, because he had to ensure that the greatest number of workers remain in employment and failed so much so that with his decision he is going to discharge 144 workers.

Sixth, because instead of ensuring that the private entrepreneur that had to take Sea Malta in his hands honours the existing workers collective agreement he helped for there to be changes in the same collective agreement without agreement being reached with the workers.

Seventh, because while his work was to help the union persuade the workers seamen to come to an agreement for changes to their working conditions he did nothing of the sort and with his insolent manners he upset them.

Eight, because once he agreed that 144 workers 76 of them would be taken into the public sector he did not need to hurry in closing down the company and it would have been easier to find someone to buy the Government shares with a company with 68 instead of 144 workers.
 
Ninth, because he did not follow the arrangements which he himself had made both as regards the Shipyard workers, those of MDC, those of Medigrain and PBS and thus he shirked his duty towards the Sea Malta workers while he burdened the people with the burden of the discharged workers.
 
And tenth, because he did not ensure that whoever takes the goodwill and work of Sea Malta keeps in employment its workers with the same working conditions that they had, as provided by Article 38 of the 2002 Employment and Industrial Relations Act.

While addressing the press conference called to hear what he had to say on the issue, Dr Mifsud Bonnici elaborated on the reasons why in his opinion and those of CNI Minister Gatt had to resign.

The ex-Prime Minister condemned the Government for giving a gift to Grimaldi at the same time that the people are not going to get anything.

“This is a fraudulent act because you are stealing assets from which the creditors of the company, including the workers, can get paid when it is closed down".

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici said that the agreement was that when Grimaldi takes the shares he would also take the debt and the workers while paying the Government for the goodwill and work that was carried out by Sea Malta. 

But when the Government decided to close down the company and give the same work to Grimaldi, Grimaldi took the goodwill and the work but not the debt and the workers.

He criticized Minister Gatt because instead of attracting investment, in the case of Sea Malta he was throwing away the investment.

“If Austin Gatt and his friends continue to insist that the Government should not have investment then he is closing down the investment. Minister Gatt is a “demolition” minister instead of trying to increase investment."

The ex-Labour Leader referred to the comment that Minster Gatt made recently to the newspaper “The Times” where he was quoted as saying that it is illegal for the Government to subsidize a national company to compete with a private one.

“We have no such law in our country which states that you cannot aid a national company which is in competition with a private one. Minister Gatt and the Government adopted an EU law that does not allow the Government to aid a people’s company because it would be competing with a private one. This was when at the same time other EU countries are subsidizing private commercial companies. Germany subsidizes by 17 billion Ewros every year, France by 9 billion and Italy by 7 billion".

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici asked why did the Government have all this haste to close down Sea Malta once that the negotiations on the best offer had failed it could have negotiated new arrangements with the same Grimaldi or on another offer.

As regards the laying off of workers he said that once it is the Government that is going to close down the company then it is it that is going to lay off the workers. 

And it did not need to do so because it is not subsidizing the workers wages. 

He continued to add that if the company is freed from the burden of the workers wages, Sea Malta could continue to operate.

“With what right does Austin Gatt remain in office when after he destroyed the negotiations is giving with a great scandal a great people’s asset as a gift to his friends Sullivan while capriciously sacrificing the employment of 144 workers?”

At the end of the press conference, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that according to law Grimaldi was obliged to keep in employment the 76 shore workers although it is not obliged to keep the 56 seamen. 

However, the Government is favouring its friends and thus freed Grimaldi and Sullivan from this obligation.

While again accusing the Government that it is guilty of theft of the people’s assets, the ex-Labour Leader said that the Privatization Unit should state whom it put aside when choosing the companies that were interested to take Sea Malta.

Tuesday 13 December 2005

e-mail: cnimalta at yahoo.co.uk 

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