Industrial stability has already suffered a wobble this summer with the General Workers’ Union threatening a national strike, and things have been further compounded with the Public Transport Association also threatening a strike.

The GWU of course has threatened nationwide industrial action if the government fails to call a meeting on what it has termed a “guillotine policy” whereby the authorities terminate employment of surplus works in companies that are in the process of being restructured. The deadline is today, 11 August, so one will have to wait and see what is in the pipeline. The government on the other hand contends that it has no such policy and is offering to take on surplus workers and also honour termination benefit agreements.

Yet now, merely days before the start of talks between the Malta Transport Authority and the Public Transport Association, we have heard yet more rumblings. The association has threatened to strike over a subsidy offer by government at Lm1.1 million. The association claims that it needs an additional Lm600,000 to allow it to function as it does at present. This is similar to what happened a few summers ago when the PTA threatened strike action over the same issues – subsidies.

However, the government is proposing reforms that will make better use of Malta’s buses, proposing lengthening of some serviced routes as well as totally changing others. This will be implemented along with removing a day-in-day-out system which is causing varied problems to the system. One must of course bear in mind that bus owners make additional money through private trips. It is estimated that European buses carry an average of 120,000 passengers per year, yet Maltese buses carry only 60,000 – half that amount.

Of course, it is also peak season, with vast amount of tourists in Malta. If the buses were to call a strike, it would have a knock-on effect in other areas. Tourists will not travel and will therefore not spend money in different parts of the island. It is bad enough that we still have a rotten public transport service. Drivers’ manners leave a lot to be desired, one must have small denominations or they get a mouthful of abuse and unfortunately, there are still drivers who cheat people out of money. It still happens. And yet the government is pushing ahead with a package to try and revamp the sector – and what happens in return? Demands for subsidies and threats of industrial action. Of course, one must also bear in mind that the government paid out huge subsidies to get drivers to dispose of the old wrecks that used to serve as a poor imitation of buses in order to get new ones.

What is perhaps the strangest thing in this issue is that the PTA seems to be shooting itself in the foot. An agreement was reached last year which stipulated that reforms to the sector were to be implemented, although nothing was concrete. That same agreements stipulates that if the ADT and the PTA do not reach agreement within 90 days, then the authorities would be free to search for an alternative service provider. One wonders whether that might be the kick up the behind that our public transport needs to start offering a reliable, good, polite, friendly and efficient service that one can find anywhere else in Europe. If reforms are made properly, however, we are sure that bus takings would increase further, increasing the PTA’s turnover and in turn reducing the need for subsidies. This was in fact, the government’s plan in the first place.