People are thirsty for correct information; media owned by political parties are overtly biased while the Broadcasting Authority and the Public Broadcasting Services avoid reporting important issues, said Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM) secretary general Gejtu Vella.

While delivering the closing speech of the 30th UHM Annual General Conference, Mr Vella attacked the government-owned media for failing to report a seminar organised by the UHM on the subject of the introduction of the euro.

He said media should not report petty stories about the government or the opposition, but inform the public on real issues. The state of Maltese information makes it impossible for the public to have a true and fair view of certain issues such as the changing nature of business, thundered Mr Vella.

Gone are the days when unions coerced firms into agreements through union muscle, explained the secretary general. He explained that Lufthansa Technik has requested a new collective agreement before the expiration of the current one and threatened to set up shop somewhere else if the union were to refuse.

This is globalisation, said Mr Vella, and people need to acknowledge this.

Mr Vella also criticised the various forces that are creating conflict in the country.

He said that such conflict was making Malta lose valuable time. He said various organisations see the same thing from different angles, but appealed for mutual understanding and better discussions. To this end, he urged social partners not to wait for unanimity when discussing issues, as this costs Malta precious time. He also stressed the importance of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) in the decision making process.

The trade unionist called on political parties not to promise remedies to injustices that bypass the office of the Ombudsman in the run-up to the general elections, and requested government to implement decisions taken by the Ombudsman. Mr Vella stressed that people found to have committed injustices should be held personally liable for their mistakes.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi praised the union for the five papers it published yesterday. He said that people should be judged by their actions, not words and the UHM is taking its role seriously and factually putting forward new proposals to stimulate national debate. He said that as prime minister and finance minister he values all feedback, including that of the opposition leader. Dr Gonzi said that he has to weigh his opinion against feedback and try taking the best decision for the good of the country. A case in point, said the prime minister, is that when there was a sudden rise in fuel prices, government had its own opinion on how to deal with the crisis. However, it changed its views after listening to what the MCESD had to say.

Dr Gonzi praised the UHM also for its contribution to the debate regarding the EU membership and encouraged it to continuing working for the good of the country.

Opposition Leader Alfred Sant said the free market and competition sometimes are used as a screen to conceal the fact that the weak have to concede to whatever they are requested to do because they have no bargaining power. This is a global phenomenon, a direct result of the fast technological changes that have upheaved labour markets. He stressed that sustainable development can be achieved by finding a just social balance. To this end, he said workers’ and employers’ organisations have to work together as to become equal partners with other forces of society on policy planning matters. Dr Sant said this is Labour’s belief, stemming out from its social democrat nature.

Alternattiva Demokratika – the Green Party, chairman Harry Vassallo denounced both parties for placing their allegiance to those who finance them, rather than to the people. Dr Vassallo said the environment pillar of Dr Gonzi’s policies was turning to dust as the administration was giving its go-ahead to various projects which undermine Maltese environment. He mentioned the extension of the Development Zones and the development projects at Tignè.