MLP media 'ignoring' UHM, Vella tells Sant

The secretary general of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, Gejtu Vella yesterday told a Labour Party delegation led by Alfred Sant he was disappointed the MLP media was ignoring UHM activities.

Dr Sant, accompanied by deputy leaders Charles Mangion and Michael Falzon, paid a visit to the UHM premises on the invitation of the union, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

"There were times when journalists from Super One were present but still no coverage was given. I think the party leadership has nothing to do with this, but I hope this will be redressed," Mr Vella said.

The MLP delegation was welcomed by UHM president Gejtu Tanti, who said the union made it a point to meet constituted bodies frequently as it helped the union formulate its policies.

Dr Sant said in Malta there was divergence and convergence on a number of issues but it was important that there was some sort of momentum to spur growth in the economy, which was currently shrinking.

Commenting about globalisation and Malta's EU membership, he said the country was "absorbing rules and circumstances" that were not suited to its particular requirements and it needed a national plan to create jobs.

Mr Vella welcomed Dr Sant's remarks, adding that it was the UHM that last year had come out with the idea of a social pact, a form of national pact that could take the country forward.

"Unfortunately this did not materialise. We also had no support from the MLP media," Mr Vella said.

Mr Vella said every organisation had its own agenda and it was unfortunate that a formula could not be found for all parties to pull the same rope.

He stressed that irrespective of the labels often applied to the UHM, the union was not the bedfellow of any party but was willing to work with any organisation to safeguard workers' rights.

The meeting started at about 1 p.m. and lasted over two hours.

Contacted afterwards, Dr Sant was asked about whether his speech at the General Workers' Union congress last year - in which he had spoken about the GWU being "a privileged partner of the leftist movement" - and the disparaging remark about the UHM made by former MLP president Manwel Cuschieri on party radio, were raised at the meeting.

Dr Sant replied that they were discussed "in a generic way".

Pressed on whether the issue of a "privileged union" was only discussed in general terms, since Mr Vella had been very critical of the notion in an interview with The Times on Monday, Dr Sant said he too did not agree with privileges and had been misquoted by sections of the media.

"If you find the speech that I made, I never said the GWU was a privileged partner to the Malta Labour Party. What I had said was that the GWU was and would remain the privileged partner of the leftist movement".

Asked for his comment about the question Mr Cuschieri had asked listeners on Super One radio - whether they thought the UHM was "paljazza tal-gvern Nazzjonalista" (the Nationalist government's dishcloth) - Dr Sant said: "We are not in the business of cutlery and haberdashery so I don't have to comment".