Unions present 'package' to MCESD today

Trade unions will today present a fresh "package" of proposals to the government and employers at a meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.

The unions said yesterday they were "confident" the package was acceptable, by and large, to the other social partners.

In a concerted effort to come up with a proposal on how to enhance Malta's productivity, trade unions have over the past two days met to discuss and list measures to be submitted to the MCESD at 1 p.m. today.

The main aim was to propose economic measures that would effectively replace the government's proposal to forfeit public holidays falling on a weekend.

While asking the government not to raise taxes, the unions are expected to propose that an increase in employees' salaries be linked to increases in productivity as an incentive for workers. This should achieve the desired leap that the leave measure was meant to bring about, they said. The unions could thus agree on a cap on the percentage of wage increases over a number of years but incorporating the cost of living increase.

Employers, on their part, should find concrete ways in which to reinvest in their business, especially through training their employees.

Speaking on behalf of all the unions, Edward Zammit, who chaired the unions' meetings, told journalists the unions had consolidated their agreement to table proposals as a united front.

For the second day in succession, representatives from all Maltese unions, including the Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM), the General Workers' Union (GWU) the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU) and those represented in FORUM, met at a hotel in Valletta to finalise their set of proposals.

Prof. Zammit said representatives of the UHM, the GWU and the CMTU will today present the proposals on behalf of all the Maltese unions.

"This step was very important since, for the first time, we have looked beyond sectoral interests," Prof. Zammit said, refusing to give details on the package the unions had drawn up.

Prof. Zammit said the unions hoped talks at the MCESD today would eventually lead to a national agreement, the so-called "social pact".