Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/429113
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2014 30 Letters Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Looking at America, that leader in consumer culture, it is easy to see how the real meaning of Christmas – and to some extent, Thanksgiv- ing as well – has been lost to the thrill of nabbing a bargain. Although the 'Black Friday' and 'Cyber Monday' fads have not reached us yet, it's easy to see that the obses- sion with buying things is very prevalent in Malta too. In this increasingly multi- cultural society, we should hold strongly to our beliefs and help others understand them as well. We would do well to remember that our religion is the reason we celebrate this winter feast in the first place and a few more trips to church instead of shops might help everyone realise this. Other activities like visiting the elderly or offer- ing one's time and energy for worthy causes are also a way to get back in touch with the spiritual side of the festivities. It is a shame that buying and spending seem to have replaced the real spirit of the season, which is a celebra- tion of the birth of our Lord and a message of hope to all. Mario Grima Via email The head-on confrontation looming between the unions and government is of concern. It puts in doubt whether reaching a social pact between all the social partners is at all possible. Both the GWU and the UHM have made it a point of principle to fight Government's proposal to remove public holidays falling on a weekend tooth and nail. Both argue that even if Government goes ahead and changes the now all too famous Clause 17, in no way this should negatively affect col- lective agreements in force. But beyond the legalistic arguments at stake, the heart of the matter is competi- tiveness. It is the big picture that all leaders in the country need to address. The Prime Minister's justi- fication for the controversial decision is that the measure will help the country regain its competitive edge. Regaining competitiveness is important, but serious doubts still linger as to how truly effective this single measure can be. At least one economist, Prof. Edward Scicluna has already said that the measure will not increase productivity, but only raises production. The overall positive impact Gonzi is hoping the measure will have on the economy may indeed never materialise to the desired extent. One thing is certain though: Gonzi has managed to irritate salaried employees and give the impression he is on the employers' side. The unions are right in argu- ing that after years of consulta- tion to arrive at an agreement on the industrial relations act fundamental changes must not be made ad hoc without mean- ingful widespread consulta- tion. They never expected this approach from a Prime Minister who has rightly made consensus his mantra. The unions are also right to point out that the budget may not have included a suffi- cient contribution from the employers' side. The quid pro quo equation was one sided. Irrespective of these two valid arguments threats of industrial unrest will not help the precarious economic situation further creating job instability and stunting economic recovery. Before embarking on damaging industrial action unions should seek alternative routes of dispute resolution for the sake of the very same employees they represent. Common sense dictates that lack of agreement and looming confrontation ne- cessitates one prudent line of action namely the growing dire need to work longer and harder to achieve a social pact. Free from the time constraints to achieve agreement prior to the budget all the social partners must sit round the discussion table and try to reach an agreement acceptable to all sides. We reiterate our belief that the budget is a positive first step in directing the spotlight on the country's problems but it does not go far enough to stimulate growth and job creation. It fails to address the cancer within our economy namely the bloated public sector. We urge all the social partners to work on a long term plan with clearly identi- fied targets whereby employees presently working in the public sector are gradually transferred to and employed by the private sector. This can only be achieved by pro- viding fiscal incentives to the private sector and making it easier for them to invest and enjoy returns on that investment. Don't meddle with the independent press The leaked government email published in our front page story reveals a menac- ing approach by government towards the independent press. The Prime Minister's communications coordinator has the gall to question the right of an independent journalist to probe and scruti- nize government. This line of approach is unacceptable in a democratic society. In bad taste also is the official's childish ap- proach to report the journalist to his editor. The very European values of open government enshrined in the European convention of human rights are being undermined by a political ap- pointee in the pay of the public exchequer. Our decision to expose the email as custodians of the pub- lic interest rests solely on the seriousness of the matter. It is a direct attack on the freedom of the press. The email used was a government email address; the government communicator was reacting to legitimate questions put to him in his capacity as a public official. One can only hope that this arrogant attitude is reflective of the coordina- tors' personal antagonism to the section of the press referred to in his email. If this is the case he is failing the position he holds. Still in need of the social pact Editorial • December 12 2004 Reviewing the reviewer I had the misfortune of stumbling upon Teo- dor Reljic's clunky and misinformed review of the wonderful Polish drama Ida in last Sunday's edition of MaltaToday. Not only does the review fail to take into account the full theological import of this masterfully crafted film… it's clear that Reljic's grasp of the Polish cin- ematic scene is tenuous at best. This most delicate films is certainly not well served by the reviewer's patron- ising introductory note, which eats up precious column space to lecture readers about the poor visual storytelling of con- temporary films. In the interest of the kind of balance and rhetorical sensitivity I would wish Reljic displayed more of, I will isolate one segment of the review as being particularly notable: 'The porcelain-like perfection of Ida and her world at the convent is contrasted with Wanda's world, but the colour scheme ensures us that Ida's worldview is being carried across even there – though the implications are that it may be in crisis.' This kind of closely focused analysis is what's expected from a true re- viewer… not the gobbledy- gook dumped on us earlier. Either way, perhaps we are to be grateful for this review – pretentious and awkwardly paced as it is – because it ultimately bestows the four-star 'seal of approval' on the film in question. It's certainly a film that deserves to be seen, and call me cynical, but I'm pretty certain that most readers don't look beyond the star rating anyway. Randolph Hardwicke Qala The real spirit of Christmas CLARIFICATION An article entitled "New MEPA boards appointed" referred to the wrong Aaron Abela. Although both are architects, the Aaron Abela who was appointed to the Environment Plan- ning Commission was not the recipient of an award by Din l-Art Helwa. The award winning architect is still practising as an architect and never expressed any interest in the post. We regret the error. I bow my head to your pre- rogative not to publish my letters. However to leave unchal- lenged Mr. S. Zammit's gratuitous assertion ('The age of reason' 19 October, 2014) that "Catholicsm is not a religion that repudiates human sacrifice but rather a cult that condones it or even worse, celebrates it" is an ingratitude of the highest order. If Mr Zammit does not recognise and acknowl- edge the Catholic Church's universal humanitarian, educational and healthcare carried out worldwide, restoring human dignity to mankind and easing its pain and suffering as much as possible, then he must be living in cuckoo land. And that was only one of the arguments. John Azzopardi Zabbar Ingratitude towards Church's mission