Emanuel Micallef puts in nomination for secretary general

Emanuel Micallef yesterday submitted his nomination for the post of secretary general of the General Workers' Union while Godfrey Borg cast his nomination for the post of vice president.

Mr Micallef is also contesting the post of deputy general secretary for international affairs, a post currently occupied by Michael Parnis, which Mr Parnis is also contesting.

The nominations cast yesterday mean that all the top officials' posts are being contested.

Mr Borg, a manager at Malta Shipyards, is the president of the union's Managers' Group Committee at the shipyards. He is challenging Helen Mallia.

Josephine Attard Sultana, Roberto Cristiano and Gejtu Mercieca are contesting the post of deputy general secretary for the union's sections, the post currently occupied by Mr Micallef.

Mr Cristiano had made his intentions public last week but submitted his nomination yesterday. He said he believed in social justice and said the union had to continue to strive to safeguard workers' interests.

Mr Micallef is in turn contesting Tony Zarb's post as secretary general. Mr Zarb is again standing for re-election, even though when he resigned and then changed his mind on April 25, 2003, he had imposed a condition on the union's council, namely that he would only serve until October 2005 and that a designate would be appointed in his stead.

Raymond Arpa is contesting Salvu Sammut's post of president.

Mr Borg said he decided to contest the post of vice president as he believed the union needed to become stronger by encouraging diversity in thinking and ideas, while consolidating the work among its members.

Mr Borg said it was important to be academically prepared, to be versed in methods of negotiation and to be practical and pro-active.

Mr Parnis has been occupying the post for the past seven years and has represented the union in various committees and national authorities such as the National Employment Authority and the Employment Relations Board.

He also represented the union in the executive committee of the ICFTU and ETUC and is also on the European Union's ECOSOC. Mr Parnis has also set up the Reggie Miller foundation.