No subsidies at all during bus strike, ministry insists

The Transport Ministry stuck to its guns and pledged not to pay any subsidy to bus drivers for the period they were on strike last summer.

Bus owners are threatening to go on strike again following disagreement with the authorities over the amount deducted for the four-day stoppage they staged last July.

Association president Victor Spiteri has said that bus owners were ready to accept some cuts but the ministry insisted yesterday it would not extend any subsidies for the days the buses were on strike.

The Public Transport Authority said the government had also failed to settle a €1.5 million bill for subsidies owed to it last year and complained that the authorities had sent auditors to look through its accounts.

The ministry expressed surprise yesterday at the association's complaints, saying the contract establishing the subsidies stipulated the verification by independent auditors.

The ministry said that once the verification was finalised, the subsidies for last year would be paid, adding that the government could not accept that this would include subsidies for the days of the strike.

The government has withheld €240,000 in subsidies for the strike, which brought public transport to a complete standstill causing chaos around the island. Mini buses, taxis and hearses had also taken part in the strike.

The association is insisting that the issue should be resolved through arbitration. But the ministry said on Monday that the association wanted to be paid the money first and then go to arbitration.