More confused reporting. The Times. Again. This time they report Pulse – a student organisation. I am left wondering whether Pulse got partially quoted or whether Pulse are plain stupid. The subject matter is a very specific ATP strike – a transport strike. The ATP chose to strike where it hurts most and have threatened to suspend the Mater Dei bus service indefinitely until they get whatever it is they are whinging about.
Let’s face it. ATP were never the greatest sympathy stirrers in the history of Malta. We all remember the great bus strike a couple of years back. Like the firemen in England who threatened to strike on the eve of the 5th November (Guy Fawkes night – fireworks – most dangerous to not have firemen), the ATP figured that it would strike in the one sector where its service would be most sorely missed.
And then the Times reports the reaction (among others) of Pulse thusly:
The Pulse students’ organisation this afternoon regretted a decision by the bus owners’ association (PTA) to suspend bus services to and from Mater Dei Hospital, saying this would also affect University students. (…) Pulse in its statement said that while it recognised the right of the bus drivers to take industrial action, it was unfair that thousands of students would not be able to use the buses to go to University. It urged the Transport Ministry and Transport Malta to remedy the situation.
Bravi. I mean we are used to block headed transport people – from bus to taxi to karozzin drivers but what were Pulse thinking? They wanted to support the idea of the strike in principle you see – just totter over to facebook to see the gleeful manner in which young progressives are attempting to pin this onto GonziPN. At the same time though they could not help pointing out that this strike – the right to which they fully recognise and which id definitely Gonzi’s fault – is quite an inconvenience to University students. They even used one of the trendy progressive terms – “unfair” as in “mhux fjer ta!”.
Now if only strikers could come up with a way of striking effectively without inconveniencing anyone. I really hope it’s a case of wrong reporting from the Times.
