Trust in Maltese trade unions has dropped significantly according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, which also indicates a growing number of floating voters.
The autumn 2006 study, carried out among 500 respondents, shows a drop in trust in Maltese institutions, even if trust in the government remained at 43 per cent.
The share of those who trust political parties continues to be low at just 26 per cent, down from 29 per cent a year earlier.
The figure is lowest (13 per cent) among those who are on the centre of the political spectrum and may be indicative of an element of political dissatisfaction among the public, suggesting a growing floating voter base, the survey says.
The tendency to trust the government stands at a high 84 per cent among those who consider themselves to be on the right of the political spectrum, in direct contrast with the 17 per cent of those on the left who expressed their trust. It is 42 per cent among those on the centre who say they trust the government.
The survey registered a significant drop - from 42 per cent in autumn 2005 to 31 per cent - in the share of those who trust trade unions.
Divisions within the General Workers' Union could have been a factor behind this trend, the survey suggests. However, the effects of competitive pressures on those industry sectors that traditionally had strong trade union attachment could also be a contributing factor.
Political analyst and historian Joe Pirotta said the dissatisfaction with political parties was a growing trend across Europe. Furthermore, there are fewer people who pledge eternal allegiance to one party, he added.
Many people still expect the government to consult about every policy before implementing it: "If there are two things that people believe they can do as well or better than anybody else is govern and write a book".
There is an increase in people who classify themselves as floating voters though only the next election will confirm if they are realistically so, he said.
Prof. Pirotta believes the number of those who claim to be floating voters will increase in the coming weeks given the recent electoral system changes, which have effectively reduced the chances of smaller parties.
One also has to take into consideration the fact that EU membership has reduced the gap between the two parties in terms of policy and major contentious issues are few.
Turning to the trade union issue, Prof. Pirotta said there was no doubt that the clash at the top at the GWU contributed to the decline in trade union confidence.
"The GWU's reputation has been dented and for a long time it didn't understand the impact it was having on it. When it realised the effect, it was too late," he said.
Trade unions in general are also losing their appeal and the GWU problems only helped to accelerate the process.
Former GWU deputy general secretary Manuel Micallef agrees: "In the labour world, workers don't make a distinction between one union and the other and the GWU saga has obviously had a ripple effect".
Maltese trade unions are not showing enough credibility and now have no choice but to iron out their differences, rid themselves of partisan links and work on a common trade union movement, Mr Micallef said.
Furthermore, more workers are nowadays opting for private contracts and do not see the need for trade union affiliation.
"Ultimately, it will be very difficult for trade unions to regain trust, especially if they persist in failing to put into practice the solidarity they preach about. If they don't, then the support for unions will decline further," he warned.
The Eurobarometer survey shows that 45 per cent of the Maltese tend to trust the Maltese justice and legal system. A higher proportion (72 per cent) tends to trust the police and 77 per cent trust the army.
Trust in the press declined from 46 per cent to 40 per cent. Trust in the media is highest among those who described themselves as being on the right of the political spectrum, compared to 38 per cent and 39 per cent who were on the centre and the left.