GWU meeting for shipyard workers turns sour

A meeting for shipyard workers at the General Workers' Union headquarters turned rowdy after general foremen requested to have overtime work re-introduced, sources said.

The meeting on Friday was called so that shop stewards, who had resigned in protest after the union signed the drydocks' restructuring agreement last March, would be elected. It was also meant to shift the general foremen from the union's services section to the metal workers section, something that the foremen had been resisting.

But it ended in chaos, with a number of those present harshly criticising the union officials, including the union's deputy general secretary, Manwel Micallef.

As Mr Micallef asked for nominations for the posts of shop stewards, some of those present said no nominations would be made before they were given an explanation of what action was taken on the demands they had made in March.

Among those claims, foremen had insisted on being paid overtime when they work on public holidays and when they exceed the stipulated number of hours of work. Provision had already been made for this in the last collective agreement, in which all foremen had received an increase of over Lm1,000 to substitute payment for overtime.

The GWU and the government had agreed that general foremen and supervisors would become "non-overtime grades" and that they would receive a substantial wage increase instead.

Foremen present at Friday's meeting insisted they never approved that agreement and argued they have lost a lot of money by losing overtime. Mr Micallef replied that the collective agreement was approved by all the delegates representing all workers, including foremen, and that the union was discussing the formen's demands with the government.

Some of the foremen present made it clear they were only criticising Karmenu Vella and Mr Micallef, as these were involved in the talks with the government while Charles Agius, the other section secretary, was not involved as he was elected only after Alfred Cassar, the shipyard workers' section secretary, was forced to resign after internal trouble related to the collective agreement.

At the meeting, Mr Vella was called a traitor and he left the meeting insisting that the foreman uttering those remarks had to withdraw them.

The meeting then deteriorated and became rowdy, with insults being hurled even at the union administration, the sources said. Some threathened to resign from the union.

The meeting was declared closed and when order was restored after most had left, Mr Micallef promised to hold another meeting in two weeks' time when replies to the foremen's demands would be given following meetings with the shipyards management and the government.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Micallef said he did not want to comment but he did say that such meetings were held because discord often arose when the management and workers interpreted agreements differently.

"This results in pressure on the union by its members. Difficulties arise not only in the negotiations of collective agreements but also in their implementation. Union officials do not have an easy job," Mr Micallef said.