1977 all over again

In a recent issue of the General Workers' Union's daily newspaper, Tony Zarb, secretary general of the GWU, made a frontal attack on Gejtu Vella, Union Haddiema Maghqudin's secretary general, for expressing his views on the local industrial situation.

Mr Zarb's attack in bold type on the front page of the GWU's daily brought back memories of 1977. In that year, the UHM and other free unions were struggling to uphold trade-union rights and our democratic way of life against the Socialist regime.

Incidentally, at that time the GWU was fused statutorily to the MLP. In that year and the following years, the front pages of the GWU's daily were full of attacks against the actions which were being taken against the Socialist regime of the MLP by the free trade unions.

As in 1977, the GWU's daily is attacking the UHM because, as an independent trade union, we express our views. On the other hand, that newspaper is full of one-sided political propaganda.

One may ask how independent of party politics is the GWU. Thousand of workers think that the GWU's political independence is nil.