Dockers' union elects executives

The Malta Dockers' Union held its first annual general meeting yesterday, adopting its statute and electing its first executive committee.

The committee is made up of the same people who used to be on the executive committee of the General Workers' Union port workers' section, and who had resigned en masse. It was elected for four years.

In a speech at the start of the meeting, the president of the new union, Joe Saliba, told port workers they had "to make a break with the past and responsibly contribute to the running of the union".

Mr Saliba said past experience had taught port workers they could not let others decide for them and had taken a bold step in setting up their own union.

"We have learnt that we could not keep depending on those who did not respect our decisions and choices. Our only agenda is saving our jobs and guaranteeing a decent standard of living for us and our families. Now we should look forward and not back. The past is there to teach us not to repeat the mistakes that were made," he said.

The Malta Dockers' Union was registered earlier this month with 312 port workers who resigned from the GWU.

Port Workers' foremen had defected to the Union Haddiema Maghqudin.

In his speech, Mr Saliba thanked Emanuel Zammit, the former GWU section secretary who resigned together with the executive committee, and George Abela, the port workers' long standing legal advisor.