GWU warns government, employers of 'trouble'

The General Workers' Union said yesterday both the government and employers will have to "face trouble" if they continue to press for a reduction in workers' leave entitlement.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said in the budget that in order to increase the country's productivity, public holidays falling on a weekend will not be added to the employees' leave entitlement as from next year.

The measure means workers will lose 10 holidays over the next three years, with New Year's Day 2005, which falls on a Saturday, being the first leave day to be lost.

The GWU is expected to have a meeting with Dr Gonzi at his office in Parliament this morning. The union said it would be insisting that the government should neither "mess around" with employment legislation to serve employers nor undermine collective agreements resulting from free bargaining between the GWU and employers.

That would be a clear warning to employers not to dare fail to honour the provisions of collective agreements, the union added.

The GWU said it would be conveying a clear message to the government that were it to continue behaving this way it would be in breach of Convention 98 of the International Labour Organisation which, in article four, lays down that nothing should be done that would undermine voluntary bargaining between unions and employers.

The union said it would also raise with the Prime Minister the "burdens" which the budget has placed on workers and pensioners as it was evident that the Lm1.75c cost-of-living-adjustment was completely absorbed by the budget measures.

It said there are sectors in the country which can shoulder heavier burdens than workers are able to.

The union's national council meets on Wednesday "to continue drawing up the strategy on which the union will continue to act".