Farewell to self-management : industrial relations at Malta Drydocks at a crossroads

Abstract

This study has actually sparked off as a reply to Baldacchino's report Is-Sistema tal-Management fit-Tarzna that was published in January 1997. It was in July 2000 that I began working on the first draft of the questionnaire that was to be administered at the shipyard in the early months of 2001. This dissertation, which to my knowledge is the first study that looks into the manner in which industrial relations are developing at Malta Drydocks after the fall of self-management, was more than anything else a labour of love. When I found myself alone in putting forward this research proposal, it was sheer determination in the pursuit of a broad understanding of the reality of work at Malta Drydocks which encouraged me to continue on this initiative. It was also my respect towards the workers at the dockyard which inspired me to devote two years of research and writing to Malta Drydocks. I also wanted that, in a time of widespread marianismo, bring the men in boilersuits back on the research agenda of industrial relations in Malta.