Fejn sejra l-Air Malta ?

L-istorja tat-Times illum dwar il-bejgħ ta’ parti sostanzjali mill-Air Malta lil Etihad Airways tal-Emirati Għarab Magħquda ilha ġejja.

Wara l-privatizzazzjoni parzjali tal-Enemalta issa jmiss il-privatizzazzjoni parzjali tal-Air Malta. It-tnejn minn partit politiku li meta kien fl-Opposizzjoni dejjem tkellem kontra l-privatizzazzjoni imma meta jkun fil-Gvern jinsa’ kollox. Għamilha fl-Enemalta u issa jmiss lill-Air Malta.

Matul il-ġimgħat li ġejjin jibdew ħerġin l-ewwel dettalji tat-tibdil li jridu jwettqu l-Etihad Airways fil-mod kif topera l-linja tal-ajru, u l-impatt ta’ dan it-tibdil fuq il-ħaddiema tal-Air Malta. Il-komunikazzjoni tal-proposti ser ikun eserċizzju interessanti. Imma iktar minn hekk ser tkun interessanti r-reazzjoni tal-Unions rikonoxxuti.

Ovvjament il-Unions ser jirreaġixxu skond il-proposti li jippreżentawlhom. Imma frankament mhux qed nimmaġina proposti ta’ żieda fil-pagi u fl-allowances u l-anqas titjib fil-kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol.

Ser ikunu żminijiet interessanti fejn ser inkunu nistgħu naraw il-konsistenza (jew in-nuqqas tagħha) tal-protagonisti.

 

 

L-Air Malta tibqa’ f’idejn id-dilettanti

Il-media online tirrapporta illum li diversi titjiriet tal-Air Malta qegħdin tard fil-ħin biex jitilqu. Ħin li jvarja. Fil-parti l-kbira id-dewmien hu ta’ bejn tletin minuta u siegħa.

Imma it-tijira għal Budapest ser tittardja bi tnax-il siegħa.

Ir-raguni? Wieħed mill-ajruplani ġie miżmum mill-jopera minħabba li ġiet osservat l-possibiltà ta’ ħsara meta ġie lura l-bieraħ fil-għaxija.

Dan id-dewmien kollu hu ikkawżat minn ajruplan wieħed inqas. Immaġinaw ftit kieku d-diffikultajiet inqalgħu meta l-Air Malta tneħħi tlett ajruplani, kif għanda l-ħsieb li tagħmel fix-xitwa.

L-Air Malta ilha bil-problemi. Ilhom ġejjin. L-Azzurra Air. L-impieg tan-nies bl-addoċċ. Ix-xiri tal-Avro RJ70.

Dan jonqos biex l-Air Malta tiġi ottu. Sadanittant l-impjegati inkwetati, mhux biss għax ma jafux x’inhu ġej. Iżda iktar, għax qed jirrealizzaw li l-futur tagħhom għadu f’idejn id-dilettanti.

B’dawn it-tip ta’ deċiżjonijiet ma nafx x’futur jista’ jkun hemm għall-Air Malta.

L-Air Malta u ċ-Ċina

 

Il-futur tal-Air Malta hu imċajpar. Ilna ħafna nafuh dan.

Il-froġa tal-Avro RJ70 nafuha. Qabilha, magħha u warajha kien hemm l-ingaġġ ta’ impjegati bl-addoċċ.

Sakemm il-biljetti tal-linji tal-ajru kienu bil-għoli, dan id-difett kien jinħeba, għax minkejja l-abbuż xorta kien hemm il-qliegħ.

Iżda kollox inġabar meta faqqgħet is-sajjetta tal-linji tal-ajru low cost. Bil-miġja ta’ dawn il-linji tal-ajru l-mudell ekonomiku li fuqha kienet mibnija l-Air Malta ma baqax jagħmel sens.

Konsulenti u esperti kellna kemm trid. L-għajnuna tal-istat ġiet ukoll, imma r-riżultati m’humiex eżattament kif kien mixtieq, almenu s’issa.

Huwa f’dan il-kuntest li jagħmel sens li l-Gvern ifittex u jesplora soluzzjonijiet oħra. Jidher li l-Gvern qiegħed jiddiskuti ma kumpanija tal-ajru Ċiniża dwar dan. X’qed jiddiskuti, s’issa mhux magħruf. Negozjati bħal dawn ma jkunux imperċin fil-pubbliku kif qed jippretendu uħud. Huwa normalissimu fid-dinja kummerċjali li tinżamm kunfidenzjalità stretta u dan minħabba li paroli żejda jistgħu jipperikolaw ftehim.

Id-diffikultà li jiena nara mhux daqstant fin-negozjati infushom daqskemm jekk jagħmilx sens strateġiku li wara li Malta rabtet il-karru tagħha maċ-Ċina fil-qasam tal-enerġija torbtu ukoll fil-qasam tal-linja tal-ajru.

Iċ-Ċina għandha l-interessi ġeostrateġiċi tagħha. Jaqblilha li jkollha saqajha fis-sod fl-Unjoni Ewropeja mhux biss għal raġunijiet kummerċjali, iżda ankè għal raġunijiet politiċi. Trid tnaqqas id-dipendenza tagħha mill-Istati Unit ital-Amerika, fost oħrajn. M’hiex tinvesti f’Malta biss iżda qed iddur l-Unjoni Ewropeja kollha. Imma dawk huma l-interessi taċ-Ċina.

Il-mistoqsija hi jekk Malta jaqblilhiex li tkun tiddependi ż-żejjed miċ-Ċina. Dak li hu fl-interess taċ-Ċina mhux neċessarjament li hu fl-interess ta’ Malta.

Din it-tip ta’ diskussjoni hi nieqsa mid-dibattitu dejjaq u partiġjan li għaddej bħalissa. Għax id-dibattitu partiġjan qed jaħbi l-issues reali li għadna niddiskutu. Bħal dejjem dawn jispiċċaw taħt it-tapit.

ippubblikat fuq iNews: l-Erbgħa 5 t’Awwissu 2015

Riżenja oħra fl-Air Malta…………… għal darba oħra għal raġunijiet personali

Tħabbret ir-riżenja ta’ Louis Giordemaina, Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Linja Nazzjonali Air Malta, li 9 xhur ilu inħatar flok l-Ingliż Peter Davies.

B’hekk issa l-Air Malta għandha tlett kariġi fit-tmexxija li huma battala: dik ta’ Kap Eżekuttiv, dik tal-Uffiċjal Ewlieni Finanzjarju u dik tal-Kap tar-Riżorsi Umani.

Din ir-riżenja ġiet wara li tlett xhur ilu anke iċ-Chairman ta’ dakinnhar tal-Air Malta Raymond Fenech kien irriżenja ……………. anke hu għal raġunijiet personali. Floku inħatret Maria Micallef li preżentement tokkupa ukoll il-kariga ta’ General Manager tal-kumpanija li tipproduċi l-Coca Cola f’Malta.

Donnu li l-Air Malta hi kalamita għall-problemi personali għax fi spazju ta’ tlett xhur irriżenjaw kemm iċ-Chairman kif ukoll il-Kap Eżekuttiv, it-tnejn għal raġunijiet personali.

Ħa ngħidha ċara. Għalkemm ma nafx x’inhi r-raġuni għar-riżenja kemm ta’ Raymond Fenech minn Chairman kif ukoll ta’ Louis Giordemaina minn Kap Eżekuttiv ma nemminx li r-raguni hi ta’ natura personali. Hemm xi ħaġa oħra li s’issa għadha mhiex ċara u li f’xi ħin jew ieħor bla dubju toħroġ u nsiru nafu biha.

Min imiss?

update

It-Times fir-rapport tagħha ippubblikata ftit wara li ippubblikajt dan il-blogpost qed tgħid li Louis Giordemaina u ċ-Chairman tal-Air Malta Maria Micallef jidher li kellhom xi differenzi. Hu rappurtat ukoll li kien hemm iktar riżenji.

Malajr sirna nafu kemm kienu personali r-raġunijiet għar-riżenja!

Għaliex m’humiex kapaċi jgħidu l-affarijiet kif inhuma, mill-ewwel?

Issa jonqos li nkunu nafu xi ħaġa oħra: dwar xiex kellhom differenza ta’ opinjoni, tant gravi li Giordemaina ħass li kellu jwarrab dwarha?

Malta tagħna lkoll

 

Tal-Labour Party ħelwin.

Jgħidulna li Malta tagħna lkoll.

Iżda ma qalulniex għaliex lesti li jħallu lil min jisraq biċċa minn Malta li hi tagħna ilkoll iżomma għalih. Fil-fatt is-serq tal-art biex fuqu inbnew il-boathouses tal-Armier tal-Labour Party iberkuh. Għal-Labour Party l-Armier fejn insterqet l-art m’hiex tagħna ilkoll, iżda tagħhom biss!

Ma qalilniex kif tista’ tkun Malta tagħna ilkoll imbagħad il-Labour Party jivvota favur li Bertie Mizzi jieħu f’idejħ (b’tender s’intendi) Manoel Island.

Mal-ambjentalisti ħafna kliem ħelu dwar kemm taħraqhom qalbhom għall-ambjent. Imma meta jkunu ma’ dawk li jiżviluppaw l-art, jitkellmu b’mod differenti. Iktar jitkellmu dwar kemm il-MEPA qed iżżomm l-iżvilupp lura. Ħalluna naħdmu, qalilhom Sandro Chetcuti!

Malta tagħna lkoll. Bil-kliem iva. Iżda bil-fatti ħaġa oħra.

Magħna taf fejn int!

Dom: a giant surrounded by pygmies

Much has been written in the past days on Dom Mintoff. On his service to the nation. On his values. On his methods. On his achievements.

In what we write we ought to be respectful. Not just to Dom, the man and his memory. We must also respect  ourselves. We must be factual.

We cannot respect the man  if we have no self respect!

His first positive contribution was in the development of the tools of  social solidarity,  determined to ensure that all had access to the basic essentials. He did this initially with Sir Paul Boffa his predecessor as Labour Leader. It was Boffa who laid the foundations of the welfare state through the introduction of Old Age Pensions and Income Tax to finance them!  Years earlier Boffa had prodded Gerald Strickland through the Compact to construct St Luke’s Hospital.  Boffa has been sidelined in the past 50 years when in reality it was he who should get the credit for founding the welfare state in Malta. Dom built on Boffa’s solid foundations, widening and deepening social services in the process.

His second positive was his determination that independence be translated into Maltese absolute control of the islands and their strategic infrastructure. This contrasted with Borg Olivier’s more gradual approach.  His negotiations shocked the nation as it was the first time that a Maltese politician stood up and spoke what they had in mind. In his last mass meeting before the 1971 general elections, held  at Marsa,  Mintoff had stated in very clear terms what he had in mind. It was time for Britain to pay up or pack up.

Lord Carrington then Defence Secretary in Edward Heath’s Cabinet states in his memoirs that negotiating with Dom was tough business. He realised “that there was also calculation in every Mintoff mood.”  Mintoff’s moods noted Carrington, would alternate “between periods of civilised charm and spasms of strident and hysterical abuse.”

Dom also opened a third front. He rightly felt the need for a separation of Church and State. It was, and still is  an area which requires much attention. It was much worse 50 years ago with an unelected archbishop-prince wielding political power unwittingly aiding  the colonial masters. Divide and rule was the British policy in its colonies. This front has been the cause of various scars (political and social), still not sufficiently healed.  It was violence from unexpected quarters which multiplied the political problems which each government has had to tackle since.

In his endeavours Dom was undoubtedly influenced by his direct experiences.  His witnessing of abject poverty during his childhood, his youth and immediate post war years formed his vision for developing the welfare state which had been painfully plotted by Sir Paul Boffa.

Having a foreign power controlling any square metre of significance on the islands was too much to bear for someone with Dom’s temperament. His father’s employment in the service of Lord Louis Mountbatten undoubtedly added to the significance of it all and to his determination to make a clean sweep.

It would be dishonest to ignore the above.

It would be however similarly dishonest to ignore the fact that his stewardship was also characterised by arrogance and bullying. It was characterised by organs of the state which sought to protect abusive behaviour. The long list of cases wherein Dom’s government and his most trusted Ministers were found guilty of infringing human rights is there for all to see. None of them was ever forced to resign. This is also part of Dom’s contribution to the development of  post 1964 Malta.

Anyone ever tried to identify the number of victims, some with a one way ticket to l-Addolorata Cemetery?

Former Air Malta chairman Albert Mizzi in an interview carried in The Sunday Times on March 25, 2012 stated: “I remember one time when someone mentioned something to him about corruption. He turned to me and said, ‘is it true?’ I replied: ‘That what’s people are saying’. His response was: ‘What can I do if that person has helped me to build up the party? Can I take action against him?’ You see, this is small Malta.”

That is Dom, the giant surrounded by pygmies: those who helped him build his party and then proceeded to squeeze it dry until the pips squealed.

Respecting Dom also means self-respect. Respect  the facts.  When this is done we can give the man his due.

originally published at di-ve.com

On this blog you can read the following additional posts on Dom MINTOFF :

21st August 2012 : Dom’s legacy

21st August 2012 : Dom Mintoff

22nd June 2012 : Dom Mintoff fuq in-Net TV.

5th May 2012 : Dom Mintoff : a political bully.

23rd April 2012 : Thanks O Lord for giving us DOM.

1st April 2012: Should we thank Dom?

RCC u l-Avro RJ70. Wara raqda ta’ 15-il sena

RCC kien ikkwotat illum li għamel sfida lill-Karmenu Vella tal-Labour dwar l-Air Malta.

L-isfida hi dwar l-erba’ Avro RJ70 li l-Air Malta xtrat fi żmien li hu (RCC) kien membru tal-Bord tad-Diretturi tal-Air Malta.

Dawn l-ajruplani kienu sors ta’ telf kbir ta’ flus lill-Kumpanija ta’ l-Ajru Nazzjonali Air Malta. Dan it-telf baqa’ jħabbat lill-Air Malta għal snin twal tant li hemm min jinsisti illi kienu wieħed mill-fatturi ewlenin li ikkontribwew għall qagħda attwali tal-Air Malta.

L-isfida ta’ RCC hi dwar il-kuntratt għax-xiri ta’ dawn l-ajruplani. Skond RCC kien hemm ftehim dwar klawsola partikolari fil-kuntratt tax-xiri biex il-kumpanija li min ghandha kienu ser jinxtraw tiggarantixxi  li dawn l-ajruplani ma joħolqux problemi tekniċi jew operattivi lill-Air Malta. RCC informa lit-Times li :

“The board’s decision to purchase the Avro RJ70s was also based on a specific clause – known as trip cost guarantee – which guaranteed the cost of operating the four aircraft for 10 years. This meant that during that period, Air Malta would not have been exposed to any risks from technical or operational problems affecting the aircraft.”

Imma żmien wara l-Bord tad-Diretturi kien infurmat li din il-kundizzjoni kienet sparixxiet mill-kuntratt tax-xiri ta’ l-ajruplani. Il-Bord tad-Diretturi ma kien jaf b’xejn. Jidher li saret inkjesta biex jiġi stabilit eżattament x’ġara. Din l-inkjesta saret fl-1997 meta RCC kien għadu Direttur.

RCC qed jgħid li r-rapport tal-inkjesta qatt ma ġie ippubblikat u allura bħal speċi ħadd ma jaf x’ġara u b’mod partikolari, min kien responsabbli  biex il-kundizzjoni fil-kuntratt tal Avro RJ70 tisparixxi, mhux magħruf.

Issa din kobba mħabbla sew.

Jekk fhimt sew :
1) l-inkjesta saret fl-1997 u Karmenu Vella hu akkużat li ma ippubblika xejn, żamm ir-rapport tal-inkjesta mistur, qiesu qed jaħbi xi ħaġa jew jgħatti għal xi ħadd,

2) ftit xhur wara RCC reġa’ sar kważi Prim Ministru u r-rapport baqa’ mistur ukoll.

Mela qiesu hemm xi ħaġa li kemm RCC kif ukoll Karmenu Vella jaqblu dwarha.  Donnu qablu li jżommuha mistura. Interessanti ħafna. Jistgħu t-tnejn li huma jgħidulna x’ġara? X’qed jgħattu? U għaliex issa wara ħmistax-il sena RCC jħossu komdu li jipponta subgħajh f’din id-direzzjoni?

Dom Mintoff: a political bully

The film Dear Dom has elicited contrasting reactions. It reflects the whims of the man. Initially being way ahead of his contemporaries, he ended up detached from the effects of the changes which he pursued.

He rightly wanted Malta to exit the soonest from its Middle Ages. The temporal powers of the Church run by an archbishop-prince and the colonial rulers were his first targets. Deliberately he opted to bully his way through. The bulldozer was Dom Mintoff’’s preferred operational tool and strategy. Initially used against the colonisers and the Church it was subsequently used by Mr Mintoff against his own people.

His oratory as well as his negotiating skills were central throughout his political career. He radically reformed and expanded the welfare state created by his predecessor as Prime Minister and Labour leader, Sir Paul Boffa, whom he toppled after accusing him of not being capable of standing up to the colonial masters.

Mr Mintoff’s strategy of seeking to improve the nation’s standard of living through integration with the UK stood in stark contrast to that of his nemesis George Borg Olivier who opted for independence as the tool to improve Malta’s living conditions. Mr Mintoff’s strategy to achieve integration failed and eventually he turned to Plan B: to follow the road leading to independence, patiently developed by Dr Borg Olivier. He couldn’t stand that, as playing second fiddle was not his game.

Dr Borg Olivier was patient. Mr Mintoff was not. Independence for Dr Borg Olivier was a gradual process starting with the essentials of self-government and slowly building up the county’s infrastructure: a prerequisite for its social and economic development. That was too slow for Mr Mintoff’s temperament. His attitude was one seeking absolute control at day one. His pace was much faster than Dr Borg Olivier could ever get accustomed to. This was reflected in Mr Mintoff’s style of negotiations, in his demands and in the stormy foreign relations which developed as a result of his approach.

Mr Mintoff’s followers embarked on many a violent spree. One may trace the justification of violence as a political tool in the debate and declarations leading to the Independence Round Table Conference, in particular in what are known as Labour’s six political points (is-sitt punti). Lino Spiteri interviewed in Dear Dom, qualifies this reference to violence as a necessary tool in the rebellion against the colonial powers. While that was indeed one of its earliest manifestations, unfortunately it eventually became a tool for all seasons, when Mr Mintoff lost control of the hangers-on which surrounded him, including the notorious members of his Cabinets, those who had their own “bully boys”.

Violence shamed Mr Mintoff and the Labour Party many a time, most notably when The Times was burnt down on Black Monday, October 15, 1979. In 1984 even his handpicked successor was embarrassed when supporters (labelled as the aristocracy of the working class) went berserk at the Archbishop’s Curia and destroyed all they could see.

Mr Mintoff was not capable of standing up to the criminal behaviour which slowly developed around him until it engulfed him and his party. This was recently described by former Air Malta chairman Albert Mizzi in an interview carried in The Sunday Times on March 25. Mr Mizzi stated: “I remember one time when someone mentioned something to him about corruption. He turned to me and said, is it true? I replied: ‘That what’s people are saying’. His response was: ‘What can I do if that person has helped me to build up the party? Can I take action against him?’ You see, this is small Malta.” That is Mr Mintoff at the mercy of his sycophants: those who helped him build his party and then proceeded to squeeze it dry until the pips squealed.

Bullying of opponents was an essential characteristic of Mr Mintoff’s method of government. Obviously those who benefited from his methods and actions think otherwise.

They consider it as a minor and insignificant blip. Those at the receiving end tend however to recognise it as an essential element of the man’s method. Positive politics is less relevant if the implementation method adopted is unacceptable. As a result Labour’s achievements under his leadership related to the welfare state and the general upgrading of the rights of working men and women will be forever overshadowed.

Coercive methods were characteristic of the man who sought to achieve his targets by hook or by crook. The shareholders of the National Bank of Malta, their heirs and all those who stood in his way are living testimony to Mr Mintoff’s methods. He bullied his way through all opposition: in his party, in Parliament, in civil society, in industrial relations and in the economy. His bullying of intellectuals bequeathed an inheritance of mediocrity to his Labour Party.

When the historical dust will have settled there will be one issue which sticks out in defining the man. It will not be the welfare state but his political bullying which shaped his party for a generation.

published in The Times of Malta, May 5, 2012

Should we thank Dom ?

Yana Mintoff Bland has demanded that her father Dom be shown the respect which she claims he deserves.

The Times in its comments quoted Yana Mintoff Bland as objecting to her father  Dom Mintoff being  “shown as being partisan and interested only in his supporters.”

It was only last week that The Sunday Times reporting an interview with Albert Mizzi former Chairman of Air Malta quoted Mr Mizzi as saying the following about her father  :

“I remember one time when someone mentioned something to him about corruption. He turned to me and said, is it true? I replied: ‘That what’s people are saying’. His response was: ‘What can I do if that person has helped me to build up the party? Can I take action against him?’ You see, this is small Malta.”

Being a Mintoff supporter in those days paid huge dividends.

I have already in the past put on record my own stories about pressures exerted by Dom Mintoff through a PN politician as well as through an army official for me to withdraw a human rights case in Malta’s Constitutional Court against one of his Cabinet Ministers. I did not budge but the pressure kept mounting. And on top of all that I even had my professional warrant as an architect withheld for 4 years after graduating. A fact also confirmed by the Injustces Commission which investigated my claims.

My experiences are just one of the many which those who disagreed with or criticised Dom’s government and methods suffered repeatedly.

A few did not survive to recount their ordeal as they paid with their lives. It that sense I may be lucky, but that is nothing to thank Dom about.

Żejtun Airways

Fl-intervista tiegħu fis-Sunday Times ta’ nhar il-Ħadd li għadda, Bertie Mizzi, li kien l-ewwel Chairman tal-Air Malta, fisser kif sa mill-bidunett kienu jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet fl-Air Malta meta kienu jimpjegaw in-nies mal-kumpanija.

Fl-intervista jingħad is-segwenti :

“When I was at Air Malta, at Budget time the minister used to go around to see what employment he could factor in for the following year.

“He’d say: ‘Who will Air Malta be employing next year? I’d reply, ‘nobody, because we don’t need anyone’. And the response would be that the airline had to take at least 100 people whether you like it or not.”

Ic-Chairman dak iż-żmien kien Bertie Mizzi. Il-Ministru kien il-Membru Parlamentari elett miż-Żejtun, Wistin Abela.

Għalhekk dak iż-żmien l-Air Malta kienet qiesha Żejtun Airways!

PS : Għal iżjed dettalji aqra Air Malta: a reminder is always useful.   Tiffriska ftit il-memorja!