Tony Zarb warns of more lay-offs

General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb yesterday warned that Interprint workers were the first victims of a series of lay-offs that would follow as a result of the government's "guillotine" policy.

The 35 Interprint employees are working their notice period which expires in mid-September following the government's decision to close down the press. The GWU, however, is fighting the matter tooth and nail insisting that the government should offer workers alternative employment.

Speaking outside Interprint, Mr Zarb said no government worker had a guaranteed job any longer.

He warned that the government could soon wield the axe at Enemalta, Kalaxlokk, Air Supplies Ltd, Maltapost, Sea Malta, Tug Malta, Mediterranean Conference Centre Ltd, Water Services Corporation, Malta Desalination Services, Gozo Channel and other government companies.

That Interprint was not viable was only the government's fault, Mr Zarb claimed, adding that no money had been invested in the company since 1990. The government was therefore the only one to blame for the state of the company and now it had to shoulder responsibility and offer a different job to workers.

Speaking to The Times last week, a government spokesman had said that when restructuring of government companies did not work out, or when efforts to privatise public companies failed, the government would have to implement the clauses in the collective agreement when it comes to lay-offs. The government, therefore, insisted that a collective agreement bound both the government and the unions to respect the layoff clauses.

Asked if the Interprint collective agreement contained any clause which said that the government was obliged to find alternative employment for workers, Mr Zarb said there was no such clause in the collective agreement. However, the GWU would continue insisting that Interprint workers are given another job as the union had done on other occasions, successfully reaching its aim, Mr Zarb said.

According to the GWU general secretary, Interprint recently lost a major contract to a main competitor - Gutenberg Press - worth about Lm100,000.

Mr Zarb said Interprint chairman Alfred Mallia Milanes had a conflict of interest because he was at once an adviser to Gutenberg.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Mallia Milanes said he advised Gutenberg on employment and industrial relations matters and never discussed business with the company.

"I am an adviser to many other companies, not just Gutenberg. I do not have the foggiest idea what business Gutenberg is doing and I have no interest in it," Mr Mallia Milanes said.

"If there is someone who has a conflict of interest it is the General Workers' Union, which represents Interprint workers and owns Union Print, one of Interprint's direct competitors. It's not the first time that this press has won contracts off Interprint," Mr Mallia Milanes said.