It seems the government is planning an attack on traders and retailers, swallowing the bait dangled by the MLP hook, line and sink, GRTU’s Vince Farrugia said yesterday.

“The Prime Minister never discussed retaining the NECC and the creation of a new authority with us,” he added.

“Our 10-year standing request is for an independent Office for Fair Trading (OFT) as exists in other EU member States.

“Instead we have a weak OFT and public regulators acting more like puppets on a string.

“That’s why we get no answers when we express our strong views on the abuses of the banks on bank charges, credit and debit cards which do not conform with EU Commission decisions, the abuse of Enemalta’s grossly unjust surcharge on electricity and water, and on all abuses committed by monopolies and dominant firms both State-owned and private.

“GRTU is ready for them. If the government wants to bolster its poor opinion polls rating beginning 2008 it’ll do better if it looks elsewhere.

“GRTU has directed retailers and traders to co-operate fully so that nobody blames any euro changeover mess-ups or price hikes on them, but if anyone thinks we’ve suddenly gone soft, they’d better cut down on their end of year champagne in-take!!

“Unless of course they’d rather have a bad 2008, which we would wish to no one.”