Dismissals and workers' interests

During my tenure as chairman of the Building Industry Consultative Council I always had excellent relations with the board representatives acting on behalf of the General Workers' Union. I had the opportunity to work in close collaboration with a number of GWU officials over the past eight years. James Pearsall, current union president Salv Sammut and Charles Agius, who presently sits on the BICC board, are all affable characters, whose efforts are commendable. They always made a marked contribution in search of consensus. Their constructive contribution was central in mapping the council's strategy over the past years, especially on those issues relating to health and safety. I must say that the BICC owes a lot to the GWU.

This background, however, contrasts sharply with the recent course of unfortunate events surrounding the chain of dismissals within the union's own administrative structures.

Although it is not pertinent to question the procedures leading to Manwel Micallef's departure, the union has certainly lost one of its most valid contributors. It is categorically acknowledged that trade unionism in today's world needs more people of the likes of Mr Micallef, who genuinely believed that trade unionism is about being relevant and target driven, taking full cognizance of today's socio economic needs.

Mr Micallef's rationale was driven by the need to adopt the optimal tactics according to the specific circumstances in the wake of global economic change and go beyond partisan politics. His vision was unfortunately dismissed.

Just a few days ago, we learnt that the union's general secretary was presented with a petition by a number of delegates requesting the dismissal of section secretary Josephine Attard Sultana. This was followed by the resignation of a number of members of the executive committee of the public service section in solidarity with their former section secretary.

Tony Zarb is on record saying he did not speak to any of the delegates to encourage them to sign the petition, adding that he had no idea who pushed it.

I have no reason to doubt Mr Zarb's declarations. As long as the delegates were not pressured by hidden sources and their actions were not predetermined, Mr Zarb's decision to call an extraordinary meeting in accordance with the statute may be construed as fully legitimate. The legitimacy surrounding the course of events is nonetheless tantamount to another sad episode in trade unionism.

Ms Attard Sultana, like Mr Micallef, was one of the most experienced officials of the union. It would have been more opportune had her dismissal had been preceded by a formal warning. With a little effort, Ms Attard Sultana could have been detailed elsewhere within the union's own structures. Unfortunately, the delegates deemed it more fitting to insist on her forced dismissal.

According to various media reports, further action is foreseen in the coming weeks.

In the course of these events lawyer George Abela, who is acting on Ms Attard Sultana's behalf in court and who had led the Labour Party to an astonishing victory in 1996, has been labelled as having an affinity with the Nationalist Party. For reasons only known to the editor, the union's daily also reminded us that Mepa hires the services of Dr Abela's law firm. It failed to say, however, that his firm was awarded the tender after a public call for expressions of interest. It was nowhere stated that it is normal practice for any government or its institutions and authorities to outsource professional expertise to meet occurring exigencies. It would have been equally opportune had readers been reminded of Dr Abela's untainted credibility and his legal contribution to the union.

Although it would be wrong to hold Mr Zarb responsible for such bad moves or to attribute them to the union's privileged affinity with the Labour Party, such events are in direct conflict with the key objective for which the union was set up, namely to promote the well-being of each wage earner, including its own officials. This noble aim would be undermined should any union be dominated by a thin layer of officials whose aim would be to safeguard some privileged position rather than defend the overriding interests of the workers.

Mr Musumeci is a Nationalist Party candidate and mayor of Siggiewi.

rmperiti@onvol.net