It is very strange to me that a media contributor of the calibre of Lou Bondi, could fall so easily into the trap of making sweeping statements and erroneous allegations. Such behaviour is unwarranted especially when coming from a person who considers himself to be a sociologist of quality. However, our dear Lou Bondi might have convinced himself of making the headlines with his full page article “Puppies learning old tricks” (TMIS, 21 August). After reading Lou’s article I convinced myself that he not only failed seriously in making headlines but also that his pen seriously distorted history.
In his article he made reference to the time, way back in the 1970s and 1980s when the GWU and the MLP were statutorily fused. Mr Bondi might have felt shocked that this happened in Malta. Could it be possibly true that Lou Bondi is unaware that in the motherland of democracy or liberal democracy as he charmingly calls it, i.e. the UK, nearly all the trade unions and the British Labour Party are quasi one and the same movement? Why on earth then was it a mortal sin beyond forgiveness that such an affair for a decade or so happened in Malta too? Lou Bondi should know better.
He also incorrectly asserted that during the brief Labour government of the mid-nineties the GWU dd not even take a position on the exorbitant increases in water and electricity rates. Oh what an erroneous allegation to make! Is Lou’s memory so short that he does not remember that the GWU was the first institution to oppose the 1997 electricity rates? And mind you, compared to today’s rates, the 1997 rates were insignificant if not superficial.
The workers under this present government are burdened with never dreamed of taxes, taxes that have brought so much pain and sufferings to workers’ families at large, let alone the uncertainties the workers have to face each day that goes by. I am positive that the historical facts not only contradict but dissolve to nothing the arguments our dear Lou tried to astonish us with.
He further committed another grave blunder with his assertion that the GWU’s current campaign is meant to strengthen Tony Zarb’s chances of being re-elected Secretary General in the union’s forthcoming National Congress.
Lou Bondi knows very well how the democratic machinery of the GWU works and for his benefit I contend that the union’s current campaign is solely intended to bring the present government back to its senses and to stop it from increasing distress for the workers. Mr Bondi is well aware of this and therefore should have never made such a false allegation.
Moreover, with its current campaign the GWU is sending a clear message that it can take no more from a government that is more inclined to neglect if not violate the workers’ greatest right to work. Is it possible that Lou has forgotten that the right to work is the greatest of all rights enshrined in our Constitution?
To Mr Bondi my final comment is that I sincerely hope that when composing his inaccurate and misleading article, he was not driven to do so because of some reports in the GWU media about his companies’ huge earnings following their successful bids for government tenders.
Charles Vella
Executive Head
Media & Information
General Workers Union