British Actions Displease Malta

Chronicle (Levin), 17 August 1949, Page 5

British Actions Displease Malta

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter,

, Copyright) '

Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, August 16. Malta 's troubles were carried a stage furthor today when the island's Ministor of Reeonsti'uction and Deputy Priine Minister, Mr. Dom Mintoff, rosigned from the Maltese Cabinet. In a letter to Malta 's Priine Minister, Dr. Paul Boffa, llr. Mintoff asked for an assurance that Malta 's ' ' ulthnatum' ' to Britain would not be witlulrawn unless Malta \s right to seek Marshall aid was granted. ' ' I have not received any assurance from Dr. Doifa so I have ollicialhv-resigned, " l\[r. Mintotf said. Troulde in Malta began last Decemher when Maltese dockyard . workers rioted as a protest against prolonged dclay in estahlishing an imlustrial commission to investigute their wage claims. The comniission began hearings immediately and in Januarv raised the mininniin weekly wages of 12,000 doek- ■ vard workers by 10s to £3 10s weekly. | The Admiralty— the biggest emplover in Malta — in .Tiily announced that 1200 dockyard workers would have to be discharged. This coincided with the ] "iiding of the British Government 's annnal £300,000 food subsidy. After rejiresentations made in London by Dr. Boll'a had failed, Mr. Mintolf returneil 1 o London last week with a "secret document'' signed by seven ltlalte.se Ministers, which was presented to the I'olonial Minister ,Mr. Creoch Jones, for his consideration. 5lr. Mintoff then said: "Tt is not -a question of a few uiii'inployed. 'It is Jiterally a matter of life and death." Ile added that, with their dependants, the dismissals of the dockyard workers would mean slow starvation to 7000 islanders who were awarded the George ('ross during the war. "We cannot believe that the honour bestowed on Malta was a nieiuiIngless gesture, " he said.