Unions work on TUC formation

Maltese trade unions have set the ball rolling with a view of eventually setting up a trade union council.

Officials of the major trade unions on Tuesday afternoon met at the headquarters of the General Workers' Union in Valletta and agreed to form a working group comprising representatives of each union.

The creation of a code of ethics is one of the priorities the unions will be working on before the TUC is formed.

The meetings are being presided by Edward Zammit, of the Workers' Participation Development Centre, and are a direct result of a visit to Malta last June by the European Trade Union Council's secretary general John Monks.

Representatives of the General Workers' Union, the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Union Haddiema Bank Centrali, the Medical Association of Malta and the Malta Union of Bank Employees attended Tuesday's meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled to take place at the UHM headquarters.

Contacted yesterday, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said he was satisfied with the progress that was being made, adding that unions appeared to be putting aside differences and focusing on issues on which they could take a common stand.

Mr Zarb said no union would lose its independence when a TUC is formed. He said he had personally discussed the progress that was being made with Mr Monks recently at a meeting in Brussels and Mr Monks was very satisfied and was monitoring the developments taking place on this front in Malta.