Government ignoring union’s request for discussion on fuel price hike, PN says

The government is ignoring a request by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM) for the Malta Council for Social and Economic Development (MCESD) to discuss the recently announced fuel price hike.

Earlier this month, the union called for an urgent meeting of the council in order for it to “seriously” discuss the increase in the price of a number of commodities, including fuel and milk.

Fuel prices increased by 5c per litre at the end of August, with petrol now retailing at €1.41 and diesel at €1.28.

The increase came a week after an increase in the price of fresh milk was announced by the only Maltese producer, Benna.

“Instead of working to address the extra increase in the price of fuel, the government is trying to have this new tax on the Maltese and Gozitan people forgotten by ignoring the UHM’s request for a debate in the MCESD,” the PN said.

It said that it was the second consecutive year in which the price of fuel had increased.

“In fact, over a period of two years, the price of petrol increased by 10c per litre,” the PN said, adding that this had come during a period when the international price of oil saw a decrease.

It said that while the government had held press conferences to announce that the price of fuel was falling by 1c, it had remained silent now that the price increased by 10c per litre.

“Instead, it went out of its way to ensure that it isn’t even discussed by the social partners,” the PN said.

It insisted that it was the government itself that was burdening families, adding that it had lost all sense of social justice.