Reading Alfred Mifsud’s article “It hurts” made me and my family wonder how such a man could write those hurtful words about the dockyard workers. Surely Mr Mifsud never had to work in such dangerous conditions, as he sits in an air-conditioned office and has a good salary.

If he pays tax so do we, and sometimes our tax helps people like Mr Mifsud keep their position. What Mr Mifsud should say is that some “economists” help big and small enterprises with their income tax returns to pay less tax.

Why should the humble dockyard workers who work in dangerous conditions suffer all this because of the EU? Mr Mifsud should know better as member of his family also work at the shipyards. I wonder what their reaction to his shameful writing is.

No wonder Mr Mifsud was always in favour of the EU because he is gaining more than he bargained for.

I have six family members working at the Drydocks, some of whom have worked there for more than 40 years. Why can they not be entitled to early retirement scheme after all their hard work? Mr Mifsud did not say anything about the poor management of the shipyards. In my opinion, workers cannot be blamed as they have always worked hard, while the management, which consists of a large number of men, have never been blamed for anything. Their jobs are secure as they can work in other enterprises while skilled dockyard workers have to beg for a job and hear Mr Mifsud’s shameful words “it hurts to pay early retirement!

For a man who boasts of having integrity, his words are those of someone from the gutter. His words on privatisation and retrained and reskilled are uncalled for. Huge losses on contracts can only be blamed on poor management, not on the honest, hard-working dockyard worker.

It hurts, Mr Mifsud, to read your hatred against us – it really, really hurts!

Philip Camilleri

PAOLA