Go plc starts downsizing talks with GWU

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The company, which is owned by Dubai firm Tecom, said the talks were an effort to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the telecommunications company.

“Go went through a complete restructuring a few years ago, which streamlined a number of processes and meant that there were excess staff. These were offered various generous early retirement schemes, which brought the headcount down and had a considerable (or the anticipated) impact on the company’s costs,” chief executive David Kay said.

“However, with ongoing regulatory pressure across the EU to reduce tariffs and with technology changing the way in which people use telephones, mobiles, television and broadband, the company anticipates considerable pressure to reduce costs even further if it is to remain competitive, especially since it plans to spend €100 million over the coming six years in order to be able to offer its hundreds of thousands of customers the innovation and efficiency that they expect from the company.

“Any changes will be made in a way to ensure that they have no impact on the high levels of service that GO customers expect,” Kay said.

Kay added that Go “fully appreciated that any reduction in headcount affected entire households” and that a team had been set up to work with every person that leaves the company to ease the transition.

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

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The following (part 1/3) is an exract, word by word, from a 'XARABANK' progarmme aired sometime ending 2007 begining 2008 which has become relevant. E.M. is Emannuel Micallef questioning Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, P.M. and the host is Peppi Azzopardi, P.A. ; E.M. Kont qed naqra’ fil-gurnali dal-jumejn illi il-kumpanija GO, fil-fatt id-dirigenti taghha, qalu illi kellhom xi laqgha minn naha taghhom propju mieghek, xi gimghat ilu. Pero’ issa harget stqarrija, illi kienet anki fil-mezzi tal-istampa, fejn id-dirigenti tal-kumpanija qeghdin jghidu: Isma qatt ma kien hemm intenzjoni illi jinghataw xi forma ta’ redundancies, ta’ sensji, lil impjegati ta’ din il-kumpanija kemm qabel l-2009 u kemm wara ‘l-2009. Naturalment din hija kumpanija privata, hija xi haga li wiehed jiehu gost biha illi jara’ dil-forma ta’ assigurazzjoni illi gejja minn hemmhekk. Kemm inti f’posizzjoni illi tista’ tiltaqa’ ma’ dirigenti ta’ kumpanija, din id-darba, mhux privata, ta’ kumpanija tal-Gvern u johrog dan ir-rizultat? Qed nitkellem dwar it-tarzna. Fil-kaz tat-tarzna, issa illi bhal llum sena, se nkunu fix-xifer illi jispicca ‘s-sussidju li hemm ghat-tarzna … u le. Bhal llum sena, ...x’inhi l-posizzjoni? P.A. Tista’ taghti l-istess garnazjija? ….dik id-domanda. (part 2/3) P.M. Manwel inti taf, forsi wiehed mill-aktar nies li taf ghax flimkien, meta kont ghadni Ministru ghall-Politika Socjali, jiena, inti, hdimna sighat twal sa tard filghodu, flimkien ma’ John Dalli wkoll, biex insibu is-soluzzjonijiet ghat-tarzna halli ngibuha fuq saqajha. Bhali taf illi biex nippruvaw lit-tarzna ingibuha fuq saqajha, ghamilna skemi, ghax konna nafu li biex it-tarzna timxi ‘l-quddiem, kellha bzonn bil-fors tnaqqas in-nies. Vera? E.M. Hekk hu! P.M. Keccejna lil xi hadd? E.M. Le. P.M. Iddikjarjana lil xi hadd redundant? E.M. Laqas. P.M. Le. Tajjeb. U t-tarzna kompliet timxi ‘l-quddiem, hallasna il-mijuni ta’ Liri ghal skemi ta’ rtirar kmieni, biex dak li jkun nincentivawh. Kien hemm nies, inti taf bhali, li hadu ghalihom ghax ma hallejnihomx jitilqu. Riedu jitilqu u ma hallejnihomx u hadu ghalihom. Kien hemm nies, ohrajn, illi illum huma impjegati, qed jaqilghu ‘l-belli liri… hadu somma… jigifieri dan hu it-track record, din hija il-kondotta taghhna. Il-kondotta taghhna hija nadifa f’dal-affarijiet. U allura jiena nghid, bhal ma ghamilna fil-kaz tal-haddiema tal-GO, jigifieri tal-Maltacom. Ghax jien wassali ‘l-ilment, il-biza, li hemm haddiema tal-Maltacom fuq ix-xwiek ghax se jitilfu ‘l-post tax-xoghol. part 3/3) P.M. X’ghamilna? Jienu u l-Ministru Gatt poggejna bil-qieghda mad-dirigenti, u anki max-shareholders minn Dubaj. Biex inkunu cari. U ghidnilhom: Isma dawn haddiema Maltin, familiji, irgiel u nisa bit-tfal, uhud minnhom bid-dejn, uhud minnhom bil-loans tal-bank, uhud minnhom b’xi haga jew ohra, dawn tridu ‘sserhulhom rashom ghax inkwetati. U taf ghaliex, imma, ghaliex huma fiducjuzi illi ‘l-Maltacom, il-GO, se jkollha success. Ghax huma jafu li gejja Smart City. Ghaliex huma l-investituri li huma marbutin ma ‘l-Smart City u allura qalu: Iva, nistghu naghtuha dik il-garanzija. Kieku ma ghandhiex Smart City, kieku ma ghandhiex futur garantit, ma kienux jaghtuwilna lilna din il-garanzija. Jiena, bhala Prim Ministru, lil haddiema tat-tarzna, nghidilhom bhal ma ghamilna hilitna fl-imghoddi biex it-Tarnza ikomplu ingibha fuq saqajha, din l-isfida l-kbira li ghandha it-Tarzna li sas-sena d-diehla biex tkun tista’ tfendi minghajr sussidju hemm bzonn li nkomplu nahdmuha. Pero’ jiena nippretendi li jkolli imbaghad il-koperazzjoni ta’ kulhadd. Sadanitant ‘l-ebda haddiem m’hu se jispicca bhal laringa masura u mitfugha ‘l-hemm. Ahna qatt ma ghamilna hekk u qatt m’hu se nghamluha.

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DAk li tfisser privatizzazzjoni ordnata mill-Unjoni Ewropea. Ghax ma jghidulnies li s-Sur Kay ghandu Lm100,000 salarju fis-sena barra l-perkacci tas-soltu u gabuh biex inaqqas in-nies u tant naqqs li s-servizz tal-GO mar lura. Din l-istess storja tal-Melita i tant naqqsu nies li ma setghux ilahhqu mas-servizzi u mal-kwistjinijiet man-nies. Il-privat ma jimpurtah xejn mill-addiema z-zghar. IL-kbar jibqghu jgawdu u z-zghar jintefghu 'l barra. Ifirhu issa inthom li vvutajtu biex nidhlu fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Ghax ma tqumux wahda kontra l-Unjoni Ewropeaż u l-politici MAltin laghaqa taghha halli nitilqu ghal rasna kif konna qabel meta konna hielsa u indipendenti u konna aghmlu dak li kien tajjeb ghalina u mhux dak li jordnalna l-barrani kolonizzatur dittatorjali minn Brusselll?

Luke Camilleri •

Gejtu Vella tal-UHM sejjer jghid xi haga jew ha jkompli jsur madwar il-mejda? Hemm membri milnn tal hekk imsjha Union tieghu li diga ircievu l-ittra tan-Notice... jew insomma membri tal Union tieghu u tal-GWU ukoll imma fis-sieghu tal-prova ghand il-GWU marru ! X'sejjer jaghmel Gejtu? habib hafna ma Sonny Portelli u ma l-istess mejda jhopbbu jduru jieklu lu jnaqqru! Ghadek kontra it-TUC Gejt? Ghid xi haga jew halqek mimli?

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Hekk jigri sur GVERN meta tbiegh kollox lil privat. Nisperaw li ir rumours li Air Malta ha tinbiegh lil kumpanija Libjana ma tidholx fis sehh.

Go plc starts downsizing talks with GWU

Telecommunications giant Go has started discussions with the General Workers’ Union on reducing staff numbers.