GWU 'will not be intimidated'

General Workers Union general secretary Tony Zarb said that instead of trying to intimidate the union, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi should inform the people about what was being proposed within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development for a social pact.

The Prime Minister should also declare whether the government agreed with what was being proposed, Mr Zarb said.

Mr Zarb was replying to comments made by Dr Gonzi during the PN's general council meeting yesterday.

Mr Zarb said the GWU, which knew that it could be the target of attacks and an intimidation campaign, would be opposing proposals that were being made for the social pact.

These proposals, he added, would continue to place more burdens on workers.

"If the Prime Minister thought that by trying to ridicule the GWU to earn some clapping from his audience, he would succeed to change the GWU's stand in the MCESD, he should know that even if the GWU remained on its own in the council, it would stick to its stand in the best interest of the workers," Mr Zarb said.

Mr Zarb said that Dr Gonzi tried to give the impression that the discussion on the budget in the MCESD had started long ago.

But, Mr Zarb added, was it possible that Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech had not told Dr Gonzi that he (Dr Fenech) had informed the social partners that only one meeting was going to be held about the budget, on November 20, just four days before the budget.

Was it possible that the Prime Minister considered this as consultation? he asked.

Mr Zarb added that Dr Gonzi also attacked the GWU because, according to Dr Gonzi, the union was more occupied with what was happening in the port.

The government, he added, was threatening the jobs of 140 workers, which was one of the consequences of the proposed port reform.