GWU blames Government for port workers' dismissal

General Workers Union general secretary Tony Zarb has blamed Government for his union's dismissal of around 90 cargo workers.

The government had every opportunity to absorb the existing workers in the port restructuring process but failed to do so, Mr Zarb told The Sunday Times.

The workers received their letter of termination as the contract of Cargo Handling Company Ltd, a major source of revenue for the GWU, comes to an end on June 30, after more than 30 years.

The government is currently analysing tenders from five consortia which have bid for the new contract. The existing workers still have a lifeline: the Malta Services Consortium, one of the bidders, made up of Hili Company Ltd, GWU Holdings Ltd and PW Investments plc.

As stipulated by law, the management of CHCL had no choice but to advise workers that their job would be terminated within 12 weeks, Mr Zarb said.

The government set the ball rolling to overhaul the ports in an effort to make them more competitive and eliminate obsolete work practices in the process.

But Mr Zarb said the union had informed the government time and again that it was prepared to change the workers' practices and improve cargo systems at the port.

"The government also knows there is a law on the transfer of business about absorbing the workers - but it was ignored," he protested.

The GWU's port and transport section had also written to the other four consortia asking whether they were prepared to retain the workers. Only one said it would - the group that includes GWU Holdings Ltd.

Asked whether the GWU could somehow provide alternative employment within the union for the cargo workers, Mr Zarb replied bluntly: "You tell me where we can accommodate them. But we will certainly continue to insist that they are absorbed by whoever is awarded the contract."