Tug Malta in choppy seas as it steams to privatisation

The Investments Ministry yesterday accused the General Workers' Union of deliberately trying to scupper Tug Malta's privatisation.

It was reacting to a GWU statement saying the union was not ruling out industrial action at the government-owned company if Tug Malta failed to reply to its proposals on the employees' new collective agreement.

The union's maritime and aviation section claims the company is dragging its feet in submitting counter-proposals.

The ministry said the company's management had called on the union to enter into negotiations over the collective agreement a year ago.

However, the GWU only presented its proposals to the management last November.

The GWU's threat to resort to industrial action had nothing to do with Tug Malta's collective agreement but was linked to the fact that the company was in an advanced stage of privatisation, the ministry said.

"Just like it behaved during the whole Sea Malta episode, the GWU is intentionally pursuing a strategy to disrupt and if possible stop the privatisation process," the ministry said, adding that the company's management will shortly be replying to the union's proposals.

The union's section has called a meeting for all its members at Tug Malta on Tuesday at 10 a.m. to update them on any developments.

It will inform them what steps it plans to take to defend their interests if, it said, the management continues to stall on finalising the collective agreement.