Rights and obligations of representatives in Brussels

"In the EU we have obligations but we also have rights." This is what Salvu Felice Pace stated in his contribution to The Times of November 7, contradicting his approach to Maltese EU involvement. On the one hand Mr Felice Pace implied that Maltese representatives in EU institutions should not act as colonial subjects but at the same time recognised that we have obligations and rights.

Mr Felice Pace seems to have been annoyed by the fact that in my capacity as representative of Maltese workers in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), I wrote to the presidents of the various groups to request their reactions over the comments made by Austin Gatt in which he degraded the Maltese social partners and social dialogue at large.

European solidarity and collaboration among trade unions and also employers is not a concept we have been introduced to with EU accession. Moreover, the international trade union movement is renowned for its internationalisation of solidarity and collaboration. It is not the first time that the GWU and Maltese workers have benefited from such support.

The GWU has a long standing in international affairs and has always played an important role in ensuring that the international workers' community is updated on the labour situations in Malta. This has happened on more than one occasion and the Maltese workers have always reaped the benefits of such communication and solidarity.

Moreover, the GWU is also represented on the EESC. As members of the EESC we not only have rights but also obligations. Just as any other citizens we have the right to petition the EU should a national remedy not be satisfactory in a good number of areas. Furthermore, as officials of the EESC, we have obligations and rights as we have a commitment to represent Maltese workers and Maltese institutions, even when undermined by governments of the various member states.

It is with this in mind that I deemed it opportune to exercise my rights and obligations to notify and request the intervention of the EESC presidencies with regard to Dr Gatt's comments on the Malta Council for Social and Economic Development. One must recall that after all it was Dr Gatt who ridiculed the social dialogue arm of the country and has repeatedly made attempts to ridicule social partners in Malta.

It is interesting to note that Mr Felice Pace is the only one who has come out in defence of Dr Gatt after the statement he made. Mr Felice Pace argues in a way that almost blesses the Minister's comments. For one, he should also declare that he supports social dialogue in Malta and respects the importance of social partners in the advancement of economic and social development.

It is worrying that Mr Felice Pace forgets that MEPs including Simon Busuttil and David Casa have been at the forefront of exercising their rights and obligations by drawing the attention of European institutions to local situations. But perhaps Mr Felice Pace will reiterate that this is "acting like colonial subjects". It comes to mind that some MEPs have commented and raised awareness at European level on the new travel tax and on illegal immigration. It must be that the colonial attitude has taken over most of us representatives in Brussels!

The GWU and I have simply used our representation rights and obligations to put pressure on the government about the need to ensure that social dialogue is promoted and respected. This is surely quite different from the various actions taken by particular political parties in the past.

With this in mind I hope that Mr Felice Pace will also request the Nationalist government to re-affirm its commitment to social dialogue and social partners and to ensure that no minister, particularly one that deals directly with trade unions in various matters, takes such an approach.