Rent arrears yesterday led to the landlord, the Malta Industrial Parks, taking the police to a factory yesterday and closing it down, with the workers and company management being sent home, and the General Workers Union expressing disgust at MIP’s action.

But the matter was resolved after the intervention of Investment Minister Austin Gatt who gave instructions for talks between MIP and the factory, Marsalite Quality Products.

Marsalite owes MIP some e98,000 in rent arrears, including over e62,000 which have been owed for more than five years.

The ministry said Marsalite had ignored various offers made by MIP for a settlement of the rent arrears issue. Last July MIP had also offered settlement of the arrears by instalment but that was not accepted by Marsalite, which on Wednesday proposed to pay only one-fourth of what it owed. This led to yesterday’s action with the backing of the police.

The ministry said tenants had to pay their rent; if the government were to accept to waive the rent it would amount to giving an illegal subsidy. It went on to express satisfaction that agreement had been achieved about how the rent due would be paid, and that the workers would not be losing their job because of the obstinate attitude of the company management.