Weekly News highlights

Owners of white taxis blocked the seaport exit terminal at Pinto Wharf for some hours last Sunday, trapping coaches with tourists inside who had been on board the P&O cruise liner Adonia, in Malta for the first time on an unplanned stop.

The taxi drivers, who were all members of the White Taxi Licensed Amalgamated, were protesting against the scheduled services being organised for tourists on board ships by agents. Eventually the coaches were allowed to leave at around 9.30 a.m., after some passengers decided to take taxis.

In the meantime, the Transport Authority is in talks with the VISET cruise terminal consortium over the possible introduction of a shuttle service for tourists disembarking from cruise liners berthed in Grand Harbour.

Taxi drivers said on Friday they will be presenting a petition to Parliament this week protesting against the Malta Transport Authority's plan to introduce a shuttle service between Pinto Wharf and Valletta for cruise liner passengers. They will also insist that their business at the Malta International Airport be secured since MIA has so far failed to accept their operating fee for next year and declined to give an explanation.

Shipyards' wage bill reduced by Lm3.5 million

The reduction of the shipyards' workforce by 722 workers last year had led to a lower wage bill, but losses had not declined because antiquated work practices still needed to be changed, Public Investments Minister Austin Gatt said on Monday. There was also a need for a collective agreement which reflected the current needs of shipyards that operated in a commercial environment.

Replying to parliamentary questions by Dr Charles Mangion (MLP), the minister said Malta Drydocks spent Lm3.9 million on overtime and night shift allowances last year and Lm4.6 million in 2001. The wage bill was Lm18.8 million in 2002 and Lm22.3 million in 2001. Dr Gatt said the plan for the restructuring of the shipyards had three phases - a reduction of the workforce, alternative work for excess workers and a change of work practices to improve productivity.

Fined Lm41,125 for importing stolen tractor

Raymond Caruana, 42, of Zebbug was given a two-year jail term suspended for four years on Monday and fined Lm41,125 for evading duty on a stolen tractor when he imported it into Malta by attaching the number plates of his tractor onto it.

Caruana was found guilty of handling the stolen tractor, a Volvo Tractor FH 12 1998 model, that was stolen in Marseilles on February 21, 1998 from Alisan International Transport and Trade Inc.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera also found Caruana guilty of evading Lm3,500 in duty and Lm2,625 in excise duty on the tractor that was worth Lm17,500.

'Unsafe work practices' caused tower cranes accidents

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority said on Tuesday the recent tower crane accidents - including a fatal one - were caused by unsafe work practices and not through the use of uncertified cranes. The OHSA said there were various issues that one needed to look seriously at because they have been identified as frequently being the root cause of work accidents.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Engineers is calling for more accurate and focused legislation on the use of tower and mobile cranes, chamber president Alexander Tranter said on Tuesday. The chamber expressed its preoccupation about the use of tower cranes following accidents involving two such machines last week and the resulting loss of life.

Church home child abuse allegations

Lawrence Grech, 31, who claimed to have been abused by priests 18 years ago in a Church home, said he felt compelled to speak out after a 15-year-old boy confided in him that he had suffered a similar experience. According to Mr Grech, who was interviewed on Bondì+ on TVM last Tuesday, the Curia's response team and the police have been informed and should be investigating.

Airport workers' one-hour strike

Airport employees staged a one-hour strike on Wednesday over a number of pending issues, including payment for overtime, days off and feast days. UHM section secretary Joe Grillo said workers had not been paid for certain shifts. Some GWU members also followed UHM directives, according to Mr Grillo.

Estonian President's visit

The President of Estonia, Arnold Rüütel, accompanied by his wife, arrived on Wednesday on a three-day state visit to Malta. After his arrival he called on President de Marco at the Palace, where the two Presidents exchanged decorations. He also met the Prime Minister, Dr Fenech Adami, and the Leader of the Opposition, Alfred Sant.

President Rüütel toured the Freeport and other places of interest, and paid a visit to Gozo.

MEUSAC's new terms of reference

The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC), which grouped together delegates of political parties, trade unions and other organisations and individuals, to focus on Government's positions in the negotations leading to EU membership, on Wednesday met for the first time since the conclusion of negotiations in Copenhagen last December.

MEUSAC's new terms of reference are to engage civil society in Malta's accession to the EU. It will also make recommendations to the EU Cabinet committee on all aspects of Malta's accession.

Fall victim dies

Ramiro Scicluna, 77, of Zejtun, died on Wednesday - five days after he fell off a ladder while trying to fix a ceiling fan in his home.

Air Malta selling off stake in Azzurra Air

Air Malta is close to selling its 49 per cent shareholding in Azzurra Air, the fifth largest airline in Italy, which uses Milan Malpensa airport as its hub.

A statement by the Ministry for IT and Government Investments on Wednesday said the airline, which had a fleet of 13 aircraft, was making consistent losses on its scheduled services. This led to a Lm9 million loss last year.

Air Malta is selling its shares to the 7 Group plc, a company whose ordinary shares are traded in the alternative investment market of the London Stock Exchange. 7 Group has already acquired the 50.86 stake in Azzurra Air held by Air International Services, Srl, made up of Italian investors

EU Agricultural Commissioner's visit

The European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Franz Fischler, arrived in Malta on an official visit on Thursday. He met the Prime Minister, Dr Fenech Adami, at the Auberge de Castille, and had talks with the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment, George Pullicino.

Mr Fischler visited farms and yesterday visited Gozo, where he met farmers and members of co-operatives and was shown around the Magro Brothers' tomato-processing factory.

MLP bans deputy mayor

John Camilleri, a Labour councillor who is deputy mayor of Mtarfa, has been censured by the MLP's Vigilance Board for moving a vote of no confidence in the Labour mayor, Josephine Abela.

The MLP said Mr Camilleri no longer represented the party on the council and called on him to resign so that another Labour councillor could be elected instead.

Lm63,000 damages for traffic fatality

A court awarded over Lm63,000 in damages on Friday to the family of a man who was killed in a car accident in 1991. The heirs of Alexander Galea had sought damages from Silvio Piscopo, holding him responsible for Galea's death in an Msida traffic accident.

Galea was driving his motorcycle in Birkirkara Road when he was hit by a car driven by Piscopo. Piscopo had turned his car around, resulting in a collision. However, Galea was also partly to blame for the accident because of the speed at which he was driving. Piscopo was ordered to pay Galea's heirs Lm63,100 in damages.

Misappropriated customers' insurance money

Joanne Cassar, a former claims clerk at an insurance company was given a 16-month jail term suspended for three years on Friday for the misappropriation of customers' excess money. Cassar was found guilty of the misappropriation of about Lm475 to the detriment of England Insurance Agency in November 1998 and the previous four years. She was, however, cleared of defrauding the company.