Editorial | Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Stand Firm

The public transport strike called by the Transport federation is legally legitimate but it is most unlikely to win public support, especially as unruly behaviour culminates in the rushing on the prime minister’s office, the unacceptable demonstration outside the transport minister’s house and the blocking of the public roads. Operators have a right to strike but not to break the law. The calling of the strike and (worse still) the disruption of the emergency bus service and the park and ride transport services are ill-thought out. This is not only because there was a public commitment to implement liberalisation measures in the electoral programme of the Nationalist party, but most especially because restrictive work practises monopolies and cartels run diametrically opposed to modern trading practises and free trade as enshrined in the European constitution. Public opinion favours breaking up restrictive practises and the public is on the side of government in this dispute. The more violent the demonstrations become the more hardened public opinion will become in the face of such thuggery.
Other sectors of society (including industry) have been through a painful liberalisation programme since restrictive practises are not seen as beneficial to the economy. Even less to the consumer who, in all market economies, is the kingpin and the very reason for the existence of the market place. In former years there was much opposition to the first stage liberalisation of products with Cassandras declaring that shops would shut and local products would die a natural death. Nothing of the sort has materialised and we have seeen a boom in the number of new retail outlets opening since 1987. We equally witnessed the worries and fears of many, including the opposition party, that with EU accession foreigners would take our work opportunities and foreign outlets would open serving as fierce competition to Maltese retail owners. Little of all this has materialised and the foreign workers working legally or indeed illegally in Malta are often doing what local personnel are unwilling to do.
The very same fears and worries are permeating in the public transport sector today where a group of operators are feeling that their livelihood is under threat. With respect, we totally disagree with this closed mentality linking ones earnings to such an archaic way of doing business. Opening up the market place can in fact work in favour of the transport sector as competition is bound to open new opportunities and new services, which the user is craving for.
Last Monday’s call only led to blocked roads, employees reporting late for work and delays in the transport of industrial materials products and services. The strike is having a devastating effect on the tourism industry at the height of the season - with resultant economic fallout. This strike call was unnecessary precipitate and not in the long-term interests of the operators themselves. It also reflects a non-European way of solving disputes, where opposing parties patiently and with arguments trash out their differences and reach agreement over a negotiating table. Such issued are certainly not resolved by loud protesting outside the office of the prime Minister or the house of the transport minister. The Transport Federation must come to terms with our European awakening and the new way of solving our differences.
The way forward is to carry on opening up the market place while giving the present operators a time frame to come into line with this new reality - which cannot allow the number of hearse operators to be restricted to fourteen or the number of taxis to be limited to two hundred. This is absurd, especially since the country is riddled with public transport problems. The small yet significant introduction of electric cars in Valletta is a small first step forward which should be encouraged throughout the island and therefore serving to facilitate transport for the average user. There can be little doubt that public transport is crying out for reform. The issue is long overdue and something has got to give. It is our belief that a liberalised service will ease the discomfort of the user, lead to lower fares and reduce the congestion in our roads.
The operators, rather than protecting their turf, should look at the bigger picture.
This newspaper stands in favour of the policy of liberalisation. We respect the operators’ right to strike but condemn the breaking of the law. We urge government to stand firm.