'Yard workers "prefer" not to work on warships

Drydocks workers would prefer not to work on military ships especially in the wake of recent terrorist attacks, drydocks worker director Paul Attard said in a circular to 'yard employees.

The circular, also sent to the media, carries a number of points Mr Attard says he raised with the dockyard's board of directors recently.

Mr Attard said 'yard workers were keen to know what was going on in negotiations with the EU over the shipyards.

He said he was informed that it was up to the task force set up by the government to establish the number of workers required at the 'yards.

According to Mr Attard, the Drydocks council said it had no information about what was going on in the EU negotiations but it promised to hold a meeting about the matter.

About the issue of warships, one of which, he said, recently berthed at the 'yard without requiring any work, Mr Attard said the council informed him that the government had allowed it to berth there because there was no space at Pinto Wharf at the time.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Attard said workers "felt uncomfortable" working on "armed naval vessels".

"The risk of a terrorist attack, like the one in Yemen (the attack on the USS Cole), should not be taken lightly, especially in these times of tension."

He said that ship owners using the 'yards were not pleased to see military ships berthed alongside their own.

Asked if workers were objecting to working on military vessels, Mr Attard said 'yard workers did not mind working on auxiliary and naval vessels as long as they were not armed.

"In case of emergencies, we would not mind working on other warships too, but it has to be a real emergency. It is not comfortable to work on a vessel which you know is armed," he said.