Port workers demand involvement of Zammit, Dr Abela in negotiations

Ninty-Nine per cent of port workers who are members of the GWU have signed a petition demanding that negotiations on new work practices at the harbour should be conducted on their behalf by the section secretary Manwel Zammit and the union's former legal adviser, George Abela.

Dr Abela had been ousted by the union's council following a row with general secretary Tony Zarb. Mr Zarb had insisted that the union's lawyers should do what the union ordered rather than give their advice.

This had led to Dr Abela's dismissal as he had not accepted the condition - seen as violating lawyers' code of ethics - that he had to file a court case even if he believed it to be unwarranted. The Chamber of Lawyers had issued a stern condemnation of the union about the matter.

Port workers who contacted The Sunday Times said they still had confidence in Dr Abela and felt he was the best person to advise them on port reform. He is also the lawyer representing the workers in the Port Workers' Pension and Contingency Fund.

The port workers said they did not want to face the same situation that had happened at Sea Malta, which resulted in the loss of all jobs.

They argued that, as deputy general secretary Michael Parnis wrote in l-orizzont on Friday, the union would normally use its own experts but sometimes it sought the services of others who were not part of the union. "Dr Abela's expertise in this case is a classic example of what Mr Parnis is saying," the workers said.

The Port Workers Section committee has already upheld a request to ask Dr Abela to conduct negotiations alongside Mr Zammit. But this created sparks with the union administration led by Mr Zarb and his deputy Geitu Mercieca. The union's council was urgently convened last Monday and, following a heated discussion, it put off a decision so that the port workers could explain why Dr Abela's presence was required. The administration is expected to make its own arguments.

This meeting is to be held at the Workers' Memorial Building at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow. Meanwhile, port workers have signed a petition confirming that they want the section secretary and Dr Abela to represent them.

The port workers already missed the first meeting for stakeholders held by the Malta Maritime Authority on Monday because the union's council was meeting at the same time.

"We are paying the union membership to get a service from the union, but this does not preclude us from roping in whoever we feel could help our cause, as Mr Parnis himself declared," the port workers argued.

The port reform is a complex issue which also involves a call for tenders for a cargo handling operator. Among the bidders is a consortium in which the GWU and the port workers are involved.

Another consortium is made up of Salvu Meli and Sons and Joseph Paris, who is the terminal manager of the GWU-owned Cargo Handling Company. Hence the union's manager is competing against the same union.

"We want to work within the union. We are clearly saying we want the section secretary, in whom we have confidence, to represent us. But we also want Dr Abela. There are over 350 port workers and the overwhelming majority of us want this. If the union does not want it, it can decide to dismiss, but we are adamant that Dr Abela will be on our side," the port workers said.