A 'message' to the government

General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb says he is not prepared to do anything anti-democratic to "topple the government". The GWU is an independent union which merely wants the government to get a move on, he tells Herman Grech.

Taking people into the streets, calling industrial action and using threatening language will not help create one new single job.

While some argue in this way, many others are insisting we should continue adopting this line to defend them. God forbid there will not be the GWU to stick up for workers. The government is shifting all its burdens onto workers, there are mass redundancies and the government's arrogance is not leaving any space for discussion.

A union's role is to defend and where possible create jobs. Do you think your actions fulfil this role in any way?

Were any jobs created when actions and protests weren't held?

But industrial action can actually do harm.

Do we want to eliminate the union's right to call industrial action? If this is what the government wants then it should inform us.

I'm asking whether you believe industrial action threatens potential investment.

I don't believe the GWU's actions will affect investment. We have to remember that it was the GWU which had proposed the national front for the creation of jobs, an idea which was shot down by the government. That would have created a united front between the government, the employers and unions. Why is the government shifting all the blame onto the GWU?

You are about to embark on a series of protests. Against what and who exactly?

Against a government which only agrees to meet the GWU simply "out of courtesy". The union wants to hold discussions to hammer out solutions. How can we meet a Prime Minister whose only answer to our proposals is "no"? He didn't even have the decency to ask for a copy of our proposals.

You obviously held a protest on the eve of the Commonwealth summit to get the foreign journalists' attention. Do you believe you managed to get any publicity?

I don't know. But I'd like to point out that while we were criticised harshly because we held a protest on the eve of CHOGM, there was a protest in Barcelona to coincide with the Euro-Med meeting. Why is it just the GWU that can't organise something of the sort? And I want to say that our manifestation in Valletta proceeded smoothly, without the incidents some would have liked to see.

You also held the protest at the conclusion of Commonwealth Business Forum, and one of the aims was to try and entice foreign investment.

Well, we have to see whether such forums are meant to generate any investment.

So you were sceptical about it?

We spoke to Maltese employers that have been to similar forums and they admitted nothing concrete comes out of them. I'd like to know whether there were inquiries to open businesses here.

On Thursday, the GWU plans to start a series of actions. What are you planning?

On Thursday we'll start off with a small-scale action, but we intend to escalate them. It's only the government that can put a stop to them.

How?

If the government calls us for a meeting to start discussing matters before Thursday then we're prepared to stop the actions. Incidentally, we wrote to the Prime Minister about this today. We need to find ways of easing the social burdens.

Your protests are also aimed at the recent electricity price hikes. Back in 1998 when the Labour government raised electricity prices, the GWU had merely commissioned a "scientific" report and left it at that. Surely it's a case of two weights two measures.

It's not the case. (Extracts a copy of l-orizzont of December 13, 1997 and reads): "We are making it clear that if the budgetary measures lead to burdens on workers and pensioners and there is no remedy, the union is prepared to take any necessary action." It was I who said this in 1997 and I'm saying the same thing today. We also met the Prime Minister at the time and he promised to make adjustments if it was established that the social impact was negative.

Until the summer of 1998, the government had still not come out with any remedy...

And no electricity bills were issued by then either. I'm not saying this to defend the former Labour government. This time the union has no declaration from the Prime Minister. He has only decided to shut the door of dialogue.

At the time, there were no increases in oil prices to justify the electricity tariffs, unlike the situation in 2005.

Isn't the government putting a burden on people anyway?

Who is meant to shoulder the burden?

Too much has been put on the public's shoulders. We believe the government could have absorbed a major part of the international oil price increase if it was responsible with its finances.

Do you agree that most manufacturing industries are shifting their operations from Europe to Asia and North Africa?

Yes.

So why do you blame the government for it?

Because the government has ignored the sector. We've reached the absurd situation where we have a minister willing to put money on the fact that there is no future for manufacturing when he should be knocking on the door of every country to lure business.

Could it be the unions are partly to blame for making Malta uncompetitive?

No, I disagree. Speak to the employers and they will tell you how reasonable the GWU has been in its requests.

The Federation of Industry recently said that Malta is one of the few countries where the increase in wages has not been matched by increases in productivity.

I reiterate - ask the employers whether we have been irresponsible.

Do you still believe there's space for manufacturing in Malta when places like India and Morocco pay a fraction of our salaries?

Yes, the problem is that there has been no innovation and research in the manufacturing sector. This is what the Italians did with the textiles industry. Also, can you explain how a car company, which was meant to employ 500 workers shifted its operations to Germany because it gave up on the bureaucracy here?

Do you agree that we should diversify our sectors and shift from manufacture to pharmaceuticals, for example.

Why not? But is any training being offered?

Don't you think the Employment and Training Corporation is doing enough?

The ETC is not doing enough, but it's not fully to blame. A lot of employers that have a problem on the horizon normally remain mum until the problem hits them hard in the face. They do this to make sure no workers seek alternative jobs, until all the orders are sorted out. We also have to be realistic. We'd need about 10 to 12 pharmaceutical companies to absorb the 850 workers that were recently laid off from Denim Services Ltd.

What exactly is the GWU offering to those that have been laid off?

The GWU is always offering training but it's the ETC which has to assume such a role - it is, after all, being paid from taxpayers' money to do this.

Turning to Sea Malta, a lot of people are accusing the GWU of turning the national shipping line into a political football at the risk of causing redundancies.

That's a lie. All the GWU is trying to do is find solutions.

With just two days to go before the deadline?

Why not? Did we set the deadline?

The Grimaldi group is offering the same conditions as the Italian workers. What's holding you back?

The Maltese seafarers are going to be working with Sea Malta not the Grimaldi vessels, and therefore we need to adapt work conditions to them. A total of 40 seafarers are needed for the Grimaldi ship that will be operating in Malta. We have 48 workers and therefore they can all be deployed on this vessel. Once we agree on this, then we shouldn't have a problem to reach agreement on the tour of duty.

The Grimaldi group has now effectively given you a take it or leave it offer.

Is this the way discussions should be carried out? Is this the way Grimaldi negotiates with Italian unions? I'd like to inform you that a Grimaldi representative told us that they were reluctant to reach a different agreement with the GWU so as not to cause any disputes with Italian unions. We have actually contacted Italian unions and they've assured us they will not request any similar terms and conditions for the Italian workers.

A lot of people envisage Sea Malta is going in the direction of the former Phoenicia Hotel.

Did the GWU lead to this? The union came to an agreement that Grimaldi was meant to take over the company on November 18 and to embark on discussions to draw up a collective agreement by the end of the year. We can still reach an agreement. We actually put forward another proposal today and we've budged on the 15-day on/15-day off arrangement. We have to remember that we've reached agreement on Sea Malta's on-shore workers. The government is threatening however that on-shore workers would not be absorbed if we reach no agreement with seafarers.

Do you think Grimaldi is nitpicking?

Grimaldi is being stoked up by the government. While we're negotiating with them, the government is saying that we either accept the proposal or else the company will fold - isn't it obvious that this is injecting Grimaldi with muscle.

Let's take this scenario - no agreement is reached and the government shuts down Sea Malta. How will you wake up on Thursday morning?

I will certainly not be happy and I will definitely not be complacent. We have to defend the workers.

Do you think the government will blame you for the failure?

Definitely. Even though we are not to blame.

Last Sunday's issue of Il-Mument accused you of wanting trouble in the streets rather than discussion, militancy instead of reason, privileges instead of equal treatment, and Alfred Sant as Prime Minister.

These are nothing more than gimmicks. The GWU has to defend workers during these times.

Even if Alfred Sant were Prime Minister?

When Alfred Sant becomes a Prime Minister we will see. The GWU will defend workers and pensioners irrespective of the party in government.

Do you blame sceptics who argue this way when Dr Sant said that the GWU would always be a privileged partner in a future Labour government?

Ask Dr Sant about that. But I'd like to point out that the leader of a Nationalist Party once used to invite workers to abandon the GWU and join other trade unions. Weren't they privileged?

During last Thursday's protest, you threatened the government to either hold discussions or "we'll topple you"? Was it a mere slip of the tongue?

The GWU will not do anything anti-democratic. I wanted to deliver a message to the government to get a move on...

...or you'll move it from power?

The public will ultimately have to do so.

With manifestations, protests, general strikes?

The GWU said the campaign would be steered from the roads, squares and workplaces. We'll hold more protests if need be.

Is the GWU an independent union?

Yes. One hundred per cent.

Are you telling me there is no interference from anybody?

I can assure you there isn't. There have been no meetings or contacts with the Labour Party for months.