Union says Sliema set to become parking ticket haven

The Forum Unions Maltin hit out at the Sliema Local Council's decision to enforce time-restricted parking, describing it as a "booby trap for parking tickets."

"The decision of Sliema Local Council will not only cause great distress to teaching grades serving in the six schools in Sliema area, but will ultimately also ruin the day-to-day running of other organizations and business in the same area," Forum president Paul Pace said.

"In a short while, the Sliema area will simply become a haven of parking tickets, booby-traps for all those who visit Sliema for work, business, shopping, or leisure activities. The Sliema Local Council's decision is thus an infliction of hardship not only on teaching grades but also on many other workers and fellow citizens."

Forum recognised the attempts made by the government to resolve the situation but noted that "unfortunately these efforts have not resulted in tangible results."

It added that the legal notice, which was approved in 2012, should be removed by another legal notice to neutralize the hardship inflicted by the "unjust" parking scheme.

The 2012 legal notice is being implemented with no real consultation with the effected stakeholders, Forum added.

The union called on government to stop such irresponsible local council decisions, not only in the Sliema area but also in other areas with high concentration of services.

The Malta Union of Teachers (MUT), a Forum member, initiated a trade dispute and industrial directives in relation to the decision.

Forum expressed solidarity with the teaching grades concerned who today went in for work one hour late in protest to the Sliema Local Council decision. 

"Ultimately, Forum appeals to the Central Government to take stock of the situation and address it with urgency whilst soliciting other social partners to similarly address their concerns with the authorities."