GWU to meet on sympathy action

The General Workers' Union has called a meeting of all its sections today to formally inform them of "imminent" industrial action in sympathy with Enemalta employees who were suspended earlier this month.

The meeting is scheduled for 5.30 p.m. and will take place at the Workers' Memorial Building, in Valletta.

GWU deputy general secretary Emmanuel Micallef yesterday was not in a position to say whether the sections would be informed of the directives during the meeting or when the spate of actions was expected to start.

Earlier yesterday, Enemalta's legal representatives filed a judicial application at the Industrial Tribunal asking it to take up the case of the workers' suspension (see story above).

The government said the corporation was filing the application "as a sign of goodwill". It said the union would be showing disrespect to the tribunal, besides causing enormous damage to the economy, were it to go ahead with its actions instead of waiting for the decision.

The government had made an offer to the union to resolve the issue at the Industrial Tribunal, through an independent arbiter chosen by both parties or in court. It had proposed that the party losing the case would pay the workers' wages as well as financial compensation to Enemalta.

The GWU has already ruled out accepting the request. In a reaction to the judicial application yesterday, it said the government was "in a state of panic". It pointed out that the government had informed the media about the judicial application before notifying the union.

The government accused the union itself of panicking. Appealing to it to show calm and common sense, it said "no one, except for those caught in a panic, persists with a threat of action when an Industrial Tribunal is appointed to hear the case and decide upon it".

To the GWU's accusation regarding the media, it said nowhere was it laid down that the tribunal should hold proceedings in secret.

The Federation of Industry yesterday objected to the union's intention to call sympathy action, saying there would be negative economic and social repercussions should industrial activity be disrupted.

Unions, the FOI said, were expected to use their right to order strikes "with great responsibility" after having exhausted all other possibilities to solve the dispute amicably.

The issue goes back to March 17, when Enemalta temporarily suspended aviation section workers. Days before, the union had directed the workers not to fill in aircraft refuelling chits in protest at the corporation's "unwillingness" to meet over pending issues.

Upon being advised that the directives were "a threat to flight safety", Enemalta halted aircraft refuelling at Malta International Airport and sent the workers home without pay.

The union eventually lifted its directives and Enemalta readmitted the workers but subsequent talks broke down after the two parties failed to agree on whether the suspension of workers who were obeying the directive was legal.

The GWU maintains that workers obeying a directive should not be suspended but the government and Enemalta claim the directive was in breach of the collective agreement and the suspension was, therefore, legal.

The union is expected to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow to discuss the issue.