GRTU claims civil service harbours bias against small business

Updated 9:36

The Chamber of SMEs said relations with government’s ‘Small Business Envoy’ – parliamentary secretary Jason Azzopardi – have improved after a bitter feud on the ban of alcohol sales from confectioneries after 9pm.

“He had a clear message from the prime minister to identify what is annoying GRTU,” director-general Vince Farrugia said of a meeting held with Azzopardi last week. “Quite a list really… we have a commitment that small business issues will not only be priority, but overall government endeavour to mitigate what GRTU believes is an inherent anti-small business bias from the higher public service ranks.”

A ministerial source however clarified that there was "no clear message" from the prime minister. "The meeting was actually scheduled for the past six weeks."

Just a few weeks ago the GRTU warned it would tell business owners not to vote for “candidates who say yes” to amendments to the Trading Licences Act that banned the sale of alcohol in confectioneries after 9pm, in a bid to curb the proliferation of bottle-shops.

The amendments have actually been already passed by legal notice by parliamentary secretary for small business Jason Azzopardi, with whom the GRTU recently held a meeting.

The GRTU newsletter was characteristically categorical on the law banning alcohol sales after 9pm from confectioneries: “GRTU will not allow this type of legislation to go through as if nothing matters. This proposed law is preposterous. It is regressive and absolutely unacceptable. It sends us tumbling back to years now deeply buried. It is a law that hits like a bullet straight at GRTU’s heart. We will not have it.”

In comments to MaltaToday a few weeks ago, GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia said that the Chamber’s relationship with the government was at an all-time low.

“When it comes to small business, who represent 98% of all businesses there is nothing but further taxation, no subsidies, harsher rules and now threats of loss of operating licences,” Farrugia said, referring to the alcohol ban which threatens defaulting retailers with the loss of their retail licence.

“On small business this government has gone haywire. GRTU’s relationship are at the lowest level for 20 years. Paul [Attard, GRTU president] and I have had to suffer insults never heard before from senior government members for simply defending our members.”

Farrugia described the alcohol ban as “puritanism version 2011”, saying retailers risked being shut down by police for six months if they sell a bottle of wine after 9pm. “It’s tragic. Imagine if he were a simple labourer, a union member. Try denying anyone his living. But it’s ok if they are self-employed!”