New trade union likely this week

A new trade union is expected to be registered later this week.

Its name is not yet clear although a decision is expected today with the most likely being the Malta Transport Union or the Malta Dockers Union.

Sources close to the promoters of the new union said a statute had been drafted and was being finalised. The new union will include port workers and possibly those involved in other transport related activities, including aviation.

At least 300 port workers, members of the General Workers' Union are expected to terminate their membership as soon as the new union is registered.

A total of 294 port workers had already signed up with the new union until yesterday and another 30 had signalled their intention to do so, Joe Saliba, the former president of the GWU's port workers section, said.

The entire committee of the GWU port workers' section, including section secretary Emanuel Zammit, resigned last week. Their resignation followed the removal of Josephine Attard Sultana and Francis Buttigieg, section secretary and president of the public service section respectively, who were sacked from the GWU after the union's council approved a motion for their dismissal. Karmenu Vella, secretary of the GWU's media and professional services section, and his executive committee also resigned last week together with 22 delegates.

The GWU said yesterday it would be calling a meeting for the delegates of all the port workers' sections on Thursday by which time the new union is expected to have been registered.

The port workers section is currently being handled by Charles Agius, the section secretary responsible for metal and drydocks workers.