The Union Haddiema Maghqudin has requested an urgent meeting with corporate communications coordinator within the Investment, Industry and IT Ministry Manuel Delia, to discuss the problems being faced by the monti hawkers in the new site, which, the union pointed out, is still under construction.

In a press release issued yesterday, the union said that during a meeting held on 30 June with representatives of the hawkers, it had forwarded a number of complaints regarding problems that exist at the site. Although they had been assured that these complaints would be addressed, nothing has been done in this regard, with the consequence that a number of hawkers experienced difficulty in setting up their stalls yesterday morning.

The union said that it had complained about the state of the site, which created a number of logistic difficulties, and health and safety issues for vendors and customers alike.

It said that the issue can only be solved by a dose of good will and serious discussions.

In a counter statement issued last night, the Investment, Industry and IT Ministry said that the relocation of the monti to Merchants Street, Valletta had been carried out after an agreement had been reached with the union, and signed by UHM secretary-general Gejtu Vella himself. This agreement stated that the Monti had to be relocated to the new location by 7 June but the government, as a gesture of goodwill, had allowed some more time to pass before implementing the new agreement so that the rehabilitation work being carried out in Merchants Street would have progressed to a certain distance from the site.

The ministry said that the union’s objections about the size of the site ignore the agreement it signed, including the site plans that showed the size of the stalls and the distance between them according to criteria detailed by the hawkers themselves.

The ministry also said that it had been informed by the police that yesterday, more than one-third of the licensed hawkers had erected their stalls without any problems with regard to the size, space or any other issue that had been raised by the union.

The ministry said a number of hawkers claimed to have been denied the chance to set up their stalls by other hawkers who put up obstacles of some form or other, even parking their vans to block access.

Referring to Mr Vella’s complaints regarding dust at the site, the ministry said the site is cleaned and washed every day. The existing surface of the site is not finished yet since new paving is under way. However, the ministry said that the present paving is in conformity with the agreement reached with the union.

The ministry said that it cannot understand why Mr Vella is complaining that there are no pavements in Merchants Street, since this will be closed to traffic, just like Republic Street, and will therefore not need any at all.

Mr Vella had commented ironically about a ramp at the end of Felice Street, in front of which there is room for two stalls. The ministry said the space in front of the monti is accessible from two other sites, (in front of the main door of the market and at the end of Old Theatre Street). The ramp at the end of Felice Street is a supplementary access that can be used when the space for the two stalls in front of it is not being used.

The ministry said it is clear that when the union signed the agreement with the government on 18 May, it had not done so with goodwill.

It called on the hawkers to respect themselves and each other, and on the union to honour the agreement it had signed.