Port workers quit GWU

Representatives of port workers yesterday walked into the General Workers' Union headquarters in Valletta to hand in resignation letters signed by over 300 workers who are now members of the newly-formed Malta Dockers' Union (MDU).

The formation of the new union was announced last week after port workers decided they could no longer work within the GWU, claiming the administration was interfering in the affairs of the section.

The president of the new dockers' union, Joe Saliba, a former executive member of the GWU's maritime and aviation section, said the MDU had written to the government asking to be recognised as the port workers' representative in port reform talks.

The union had received requests from other workers wanting to join, but the matter still needs to be decided at the first general meeting to be held soon, Mr Saliba said.

On the possibility that some port workers could return to the GWU, Mr Saliba said: "Those who joined the MDU will definitely stay". He explained that the small number of port workers who had not left the GWU mostly consisted of injured workers who were being represented by the union lawyer and could, therefore, not leave for the time being.

The majority of the GWU's port workers, traditionally among the more militant within the union, last week decided to leave the union over claims that the leadership was interfering in the section's affairs and had opposed the port workers' involvement with lawyer and former Labour Party deputy leader George Abela, who once worked for the GWU.

The port workers deemed Dr Abela an expert who could best stick up for them, commenting that he could best represent them as he was "the son of a port worker".

A day before port workers met in Qormi to be briefed by Dr Abela, the entire executive committee of the GWU's maritime and aviation section, including section secretary Emmanuel Zammit, quit the union.