Labour’s spokesperson for the shipyards, Helena Dalli, yesterday denied having received a report which had allegedly been sent by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech last year, showing that the dockyards was headed for privatisation.
She said denied having been informed beforehand of government’s intention to privatise the yards, as alleged by Fenech in parliament.
“I confirm in the most categorical of manners that in the two meetings held on the 13 and 18 July, 2007, between a delegation led by myself and a delegation of senior dockyard officials and the MDD chairman, held on condition of confidentiality as guaranteed by the prime minister, at no stage was there any indication or reference towards the privatisation of the yards,” Dalli said.
“The terms of reference during those meetings were specific and limited to analysing whether the productivity of workers had been negatively affected by the dockyards’ disastrous financial results, as government had been alleging.”