Solidarity but not a strategic alliance

The other day the Leader of the Opposition made it clear that there were no overt or covert consultations or contacts between the Malta Labour Party and the General Workers' Union over the Sea Malta issue as well as in connection with the company's privatisation process.

This was sufficiently indicative of the fact that, although the MLP quite rightly shows solidarity with GWU actions intended to safeguard the interests of the working classes by demonstrating against anti-social government measures, it in no way tries to influence its actions or behaviour.

Although many people might not know it we, as MLP, do not exercise any editorial control or influence on GWU newspapers. And that is how it should be. This was confirmed by the fact that at the time the MLP was moving in the direction of endorsing the draft European Constitution the majority of articles and contributions appearing in GWU newspapers followed a different direction, something which the Union Press publications had every right to do as a press independent of the MLP.

When the MLP leader spoke of a privileged relationship between the MLP and the GWU he was merely referring to the parallel lines and complementarity that exist between political parties and trade unions of the same bent. In this case a leftist orientation.

This is the case with most leading trade unions in many European countries, foremost of which one finds the state of play between Italian trade unions and political parties.

Gejtu Vella, general secretary of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, will no doubt confirm he had often reminded me when we moved out of government in 1998 that we were often more accessible to them than other administrations' ministers.

This shows that the MLP in government always exercised - and will continue to exercise - an open door policy with the other trade unions. Confirmation that they will in no way be discriminated against.

When discussions were held with the trade unions in connection with the water and electricity bills announced in the 1998 budget, there were various occasions where we held talks concurrently with the two different unions at Castille on the same day. This in order to ensure a sense of fair play and balance in the conduct of our relations with the island's major trade unions.

If Tony Zarb and his colleagues are being accused of taking a pro-Labour position by attacking the government, by the same yardstick one could easily accuse the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions and the UHM of supporting the government by choosing to keep mum at this delicate moment.

The major difference between our attitude when in government in 1998 and the government's position today is that, while we had announced from day one that we were prepared to be flexible should it result that the utility rates were of excessive burden on taxpayers, this government has so far refrained from making any statements or commitments that it will revise its utility rates should an independent body or audit firm find that its calculations of the surcharge rates were incorrect or inflated.

One would have expected that it should have been a workers' representative body such as the UHM that should have called on the government to carry out an independent study on the surcharge in question rather than to have such a call made by an employers' association - the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association!

Although as a politician I prefer to talk of the future than of the past I cannot but remind readers that the CMTU and the UHM did not think twice to protest against the utility rates we had introduced seven years ago. This time round, in spite of the burden most taxpayers and consumers will have to carry, both the UHM and the CMTU failed to even threaten to take to the streets as they did when we were in government.

My party's position on a would-be change in government has always been that this can only be brought about through fair and free elections.

For the benefit of readers I would like to highlight the fact that in the late 1970s, when he had just assumed the leadership of the Nationalist Party, former Premier Eddie Fenech Adami used to argue differently.

In those days - turbulent as they might have been - he had gone on record stating that '"public opinion can bring about a government's downfall". He had also added that "if a government will remain under the attack of public opinion for a lengthy period of time it will have no alternative other than to resign".

This statement was made on May 14, 1977.

On May 1, 1978, Dr Fenech Adami had called on all trade unions (except the GWU) to stand up and be counted. He was reported to have said: "Where are the free trade unions that need to show courage and resolve by exercising their right of making themselves heard on issues with which they disagree...?"

This is the same spirit with which the GWU is resisting the government's arrogance as has been shown in recent weeks, particularly at ministerial level.

It is also the same scenario which is prompting the MLP to support GWU actions in defence of workers' rights. With one difference - that rather than prodding them into action we merely choose to support and endorse their pacific protests for such a worthy cause.

Mr Brincat is a Labour member of Parliament.

leo.brincat@gov.mt