The general secretary of the General Workers' Union, Tony Zarb, yesterday warned newly appointed Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi he would be inviting confrontation if he did not heed the union's request for a meeting to discuss proposals aimed at improving the situation in the country.

Mr Zarb was speaking at the end of a demonstration meeting in Valletta, the second one this year.

Demonstrators, who included former prime ministers Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, carried banners reading "We want work", "Fejn Huma l-Impiegi?" (Where are the jobs?) and "Workers unite and fight".

Mr Zarb said workers could not tolerate the prevailing situation any longer. There were 8,830 without a job, he pointed out.

The GWU, he said, was making a series of proposals for the creation of employment. "We came here to give a clear message to the new Prime Minister," Mr Zarb said.

He said that on February 11 the GWU had sent a letter to the previous Prime Minister requesting a meeting to discuss the union's proposals. But the Prime Minister of the time chose to ignore the union.

Mr Zarb said the GWU was telling Dr Gonzi it had listened to his message and mulled over his words. "Make sure you send for us quickly in order to discuss the serious proposals the GWU is making. If not, it would mean that you say one thing and mean another. You would be inviting confrontation. The GWU is ready for this if you choose it but if you do you have to shoulder responsibility.

"We will not stop before the situation is under control," he promised.

The GWU, Mr Zarb added, was willing to encourage foreign businessmen to invest in Malta. It wanted a task force to be set up embracing all stakeholders to see how to attract more jobs to the country. It also believed the government should assist industry in worker training, innovation and research.

"You have destroyed the country and now you expect the people to shoulder the burden. But the people will not. We will not allow it," he said.