Solution to transport strike lies in discussion - Labour Whip

Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi told Parliament yesterday that the way forward for a solution to the current transport stalemate was through discussion, and the MLP was still ready to mediate.

Speaking on the adjournment, Mr Mizzi said what had been happening in the country over the past three days with the transport sector strike was unsustainable. The country was permanently jammed, with workers unable to reach their place of work.

The industrial action must stop immediately and the government and the Federation of Transport must meet around a table. It was the people, not the government, that were suffering without being involved in the impasse. This was also giving the tourism industry a bad image.

Mr Mizzi said the way forward was through discussion, and the MLP was still ready to mediate.

On Saturday, as the opposition spokesman for transport he had phoned Minister Austin Gatt and Transport Federation chairman Victor Spiteri. After hearing Mr Mizzi's recount of the federation's position, Dr Gatt had promised to get in touch if there was any development. The phonecall had never come, he said.

The opposition could have let the country jam for political mileage, but it was not irresponsible and the national interest came first.

The whole country was paying dearly for the PN's pre-election promises on guaranteed work for the shipyards, hunting and trapping, and revision of taxes.

Former Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett had confirmed to a local paper that before the election he had agreed with hearse owners that their sector would not be liberalised, and this had not been his sole decision as a minister. Now Minister Gatt was doing exactly the opposite of that agreement. This was not serious because it was causing upheaval, uncertainty, mistrust and a threat to democracy.

No government had a hidden agenda in a true democracy. If the PN was convinced of its actions it should have mentioned its plans in the electoral manifesto, but it had not, for fear of losing votes.

Mr Mizzi said the MLP agreed with liberalisation where the consumer could get a better service. It was therefore misleading for the government to allege that the MLP favoured monopolies. The country must have a national strategy for the transport sector, with an efficient service at the right price while investors got a good return for their money.

Mr Mizzi appealed to transport operators and the government to opt for discussion rather than confrontation. Unnecessary suffering was being inflicted on workers, patients, the strikers themselves and their families, tourism, indeed all the country. No show of force could be conducive to agreement. On the other hand, dialogue was in the all-round best interests.

Charles Buhagiar (MLP) also spoke on the inconveniences that the transport strike was causing and appealed to the forces of order to see that the law was respected.