'Excluded' unions make no headway with PM

FOR.U.M, a group of eight unions that complain they are not represented on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, held a long-awaited meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday but "unfortunately, we did not find the key to the problem," its spokesman said.

It will now be requesting a meeting with the MCESD chairman, Rudolph Cini said.

FOR.U.M would like to have one representative on the council but it said the Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, was concerned about having other groups also requesting representation.

It said Dr Gonzi would consider its request if it found a solution to this problem.

The meeting, described as a brain-storming session, was held to introduce FOR.U.M to Dr Gonzi, to examine its position better and see what his views were on the matter.

FOR.U.M had tried to set up a meeting with the Prime Minister as far back as November 19. It was, therefore, pleased that it had finally materialised, despite the fact that the result could not be said to be satisfactory.

"At least, the fact that we met and clarified our position once again was positive," Mr Cini said.

FOR.U.M will be meeting over the next few days to evaluate the meeting with Dr Gonzi.

The problem was that the MCESD's decisions were also affecting the eight unions' members while they were not participating in any way in the decision-making process, Mr Cini said.

He described the presence of the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions within the MCESD and the exclusion of FOR.U.M. as discriminatory.

The FOR.U.M's unions represent 3,000 members. They include the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, UMASA (university academic staff), the Union of Cabin Crew; the Airline Pilots Association; the Union of Airport Engineers; the Union of Professionals at the Planning Authority; the Union of Architects and Engineers in the Public Service and the Central Bank Union.