GWU chief warns of hard times ahead

The General Workers' Union's general secretary, Tony Zarb, said yesterday there were hard times ahead and he appealed to workers to retain their faith in solidarity.

Addressing a union maritime and general aviation section conference, Mr Zarb said the GWU had always supported genuine reforms.

He said it seemed a new company was about to be given a 30-year monopoly in handling cargo at Malta's ports. He hoped the matter had not already been decided.

The union, he said, was in possession of information proving that meetings had already been held by the Maritime Authority with regard to the cargo handling contract - yet the GWU was not involved.

Mr Zarb also spoke on Air Malta, saying he hoped the efforts by the GWU and other unions to save the company would not be in vain because the company was already facing competition - at times from former employees who had been boarded out.