In a late evening turn-around, the Public Transport Association (PTA) decided to postpone making another 10 more bus drivers redundant today. This was in reaction to an invitation by the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) to return to the discussion table over the 2005 subsidy package.

The association laid off nine drivers shortly after the dispute started and threatened to give the sack to as many as 40, should no agreement be reached.

The government was quick to react, telling the PTA that Lm5,000 would be deducted from the subsidy package for every employee who is made redundant.

PTA president Victor Spiteri confirmed yesterday morning, when contacted by The Malta Independent, that another 10 people would be laid off this morning.

This step was agreed upon last week. However, at about 8.30pm last night it was confirmed that ADT chairman Mark Portelli had invited the PTA for a meeting this morning at 10am.

The committee had been convened yesterday to decide which employees were to be made redundant but decidedto postpone this action, pending this morning’s meeting.

“Given the unexpected response we received from the ministry on Friday, we were left with no other choice,” Mr Spiteri had said yesterday morning.

On Friday, Urban Development and the Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett turned down new PTA proposals. Hopes had been high on the part of the association that the proposals would be acceptable to the ministry, given that, according to the PTA, they were based on discussions between the two sides a few days earlier.

Meanwhile, the strike on selected routes is still continuing, after 19 days. The government has reacted to this measure as well, threatening to cut Lm2,000 per day from the subsidies for every day of the industrial action. However, this does not seem to have deterred the PTA.

Sources involved in the discussions said that there is still an open line of communication and that talks are ongoing – these obviously eventually proved fruitful late in the evening. Among other things, the agenda for yesterday’s committee meeting included the drawing up of new proposals.

Officially, a spokesman for the ministry said that at this “delicate” stage in the negotiations, the ministry felt that it would be better not to add anything to what has already been said so far.