Catherine Farrugia from Zurrieq (TMID, 29 April) has very good reason to “be disgusted” when she heard the PM say that this is not the time to strike and that only our pupils will suffer if the teachers do strike.

Of course she was disgusted. Shame on GonziPN. I do not know Ms Farrugia personally and therefore I do not know how old she is. Anyway, just to help her reach a conclusion, I may remind her that on 10 May, 1972, the great Dom Mintoff declared: Min lill-haddiema jmur jghidilhom biex jistrajkjaw... jien nghidilhom ‘INTOM IMGIENEN’ ghax ma jistghux jaghmlu din (Those who tell workers to strike... I say they are mad because they cannot do so).

And on 27 April, 1979 Mr Mintoff once again declared that Ma nistghux li biex niehdu xi haga rridu nistrajkjaw. Jekk naghmlu hekk inkunu mgienen. (We cannot order a strike every time we want something. If we do that we would be mad).

And no one dared order a strike in those days. The MUT ordered a partial strike and the teachers were locked out and humiliated by the regime. And they were transferred en bloc. And they were physically assaulted. And they had to rely on the donations of public spirited persons. Labour’s evil can hardly be more evil!

Giov DeMartino

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