Updated with Ministry response: The Federation of Public Transport Associations have said that they will go on strike indefinitely from Monday onwards, unless the government withdraws the new licences issued for the operation of hearses.

The Federations members include, Blue Grotto Boats, the Public Transport Association, the Gozo Bus Owners Association, the Mini-Buses Co-Operative, the Motor Hearses Association and White Taxis Licensed Amalgamated.

The Federation is scheduled to meet Transport Minister Austin Gatt this coming Wednesday, although they have said that they are willing to meet the Minister earlier.

The Federation said that the strike directive will only be lifted if the licences issued to the new hearse operators are withdrawn and the minister discusses reform in the public transport sector with the Federation.

Update: The Transport Ministry has issued a statement cancelling the meeting it had scheduled with the Federation for Wednesday, following the Federations announcement that its members would be striking as from Monday.

“The government has no intention of entering discussions under any form of threat and while industrial actions are ongoing, therefore the meeting is cancelled until the Federation retracts its threat” the Ministry said.

“This protest is nothing but an attempt to protect the monopolies in these sectors despite the disadvantages they bring on the consumers and that the threatened strike confirms the indifference of the operators towards their own passengers,” the Ministry added

The Ministry statement also stressed that the decision to liberalise the hearse market was final, and the Malta Transport Authority had been specifically instructed to allow the first hearse to be imported and to freely enter the market.

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