Eight trade unions, embracing about 3,000 members, yesterday protested outside the building housing the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development while a meeting on the reduction of public holidays was in progress and demanded they too should be represented.

The unions were the pilots' association ALPA, AAE - representing airline engineers, UCC - representing cabin crew, UHBC - representing Central Bank personnel, MUMN - representing midwives and nurses, UNASA - representing university academic staff, UPSIP - representing architects and engineers within the civil service and UPAP - representing the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's professional staff.

They argued that they had formed a forum, called FOR UM, and should be represented on the MCESD just as the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU) was. Rudolph Cini, president of the MUMN, said the FOR UM had written to the Prime Minister about the matter last November but they still had not had a meeting with him.

"Why are some unions represented and others not? Does this infringe on the workers' right of association and representation," he asked.

UMASA spokesman Charles Sammut pointed out that the MCESD would be discussing the Chalmers report on higher education funding but representatives of university academics would not take part in such discussions.

The unions said the MCESD was discussing issues that affected their members too, such as the reduction of public holidays, and because they were excluded they wanted to disassociate themselves from any measures agreed on.