The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), the Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (FATTA), the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations Malta (FELTOM), Malta International Airport plc., Air Malta plc. and the Malta Tourism Authority today filed a judicial protest holding the Presidents, Vice Presidents and committee members of the Public Transport Association, White Taxis Amalgamated, Mini Buses Co-Operative and Gozo Bus Owners Association respectively personally liable for any costs incurred and damages suffered as a result of the illegal strike and actions being seen locally.
The right was reserved to lay claims against individuals directly similarly causing such damages, the associations said in a statement.
The six major players within the tourism industry who collectively employ 12,000 people, have over € 2 billion worth of investment and generate over €1 billion annually in economic activity, categorically stated that what has been happening locally this week is totally unacceptable and deplorable in every sense of the word.
The amount of damage being caused to the image of the Island and to the future of the tourism industry is immeasurable and the actions have to be brought to a stop immediately.
The six entities, through the issuance of the judicial protest, now hold the leaders of the perpetrators involved in these illegal activities personally liable and responsible for any costs being incurred and any future damages incurred as a result of these actions. All rights against individual activists who have broken the law are also being reserved. These individuals are leading these perpetrators and should be able to control them. If they are not capable of taking sensible decisions for the good of the country then they should not be in the positions they are in.
The entities concluded that it is totally unacceptable that a few law breaking individuals can attempt to take control of strategic areas such as the airport, sea terminal and leading thoroughfare roads on the island and pledged the government their full support in any action that needs to be taken to bring matters back to normality and to avoid any similar actions from being taken in the future.
The protest was signed on behalf of the entities by Profs. Ian Refalo, Dr. Hugh Peralta and Dr. Mark Refalo.
Meanwhile, earlier on Thursday morning, the
bishops of Malta and Gozo issued a joint statement urging people to remain calm
and the Transport Ministry and the Transport Federation to resort to
constructive talks in the interests of common sense and justice.
%2C%20the%20Federated%0AAssociation%20of%20Travel%20and%20Tourism%20Agents%20(FATTA)%2C%20the%20Federation%20of%0AEnglish%20Language%20Teaching%20Organisations%20Malta%20(FELTOM)%2C%20Malta%0AInternational%20Airport%20plc.%2C%20Air%20Malta%20plc.%20and%20the%20Malta%20Tourism%0AAuthority%20today%20filed%20a%20judicial%20protest%20holding%20the%20Presidents%2C%20Vice%0APresidents%20and%20committee%20members%20of%20the%20Public%20Transport%20Association%2C%0AWhite%20Taxis%20Amalgamated%2C%20Mini%20Buses%20Co-Operative%20and%20Gozo%20Bus%20Owners%0AAssociation%20respectively%20personally%20liable%20for%20any%20costs%20incurred%20and%0Adamages%20suffered%20as%20a%20result%20of%20the%20illegal%20strike%20and%20actions%20being%0Aseen%20locally.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%0A%0A%0A%0AThe%20right%20was%20reserved%20to%20lay%20claims%20against%20individuals%20directly%0Asimilarly%20causing%20such%20damages%2C%20the%20associations%20said%20in%20a%20statement.&topic=world_news){kind=link}