The General Workers' Union has proposed that the newly-elected government should have a five-year strategic plan and use the budget every year to take stock of this plan.

Explaining the proposals it submitted to political parties ahead of the general election, GWU corporate executive Rebecca Gatt said such a plan would present a clear vision of where the country was heading and the social partners would be able to draw up their own plan in line with the government's.

In its memorandum to the parties, the clauses of which were explained by Ms Gatt and GWU general secretary Tony Zarb at a seminar yesterday, the GWU said the government had to keep renewing itself and its mechanisms and stick to target dates and costs when it came to projects.

The memorandum argues that reforms should not put everyone in the same basket. Not everyone could, for example, afford a second pillar pension.

It proposes the creation of parliamentary committees to investigate chairmen and heads of government boards.

It also stresses that every case of corruption should be investigated, irrelevant of how small it may be.

On the economy, the memorandum holds that Malta Shipyards could become viable if they were administered in a genuine manner.

The memorandum also refers to industrial relations, occupational health and safety, the quality of ­education, consumer protection, poverty and inequality, the environment, tourism, health and the elderly, among other topics.

Edward Scicluna, an economist, described the union's document as important and well thought out. He said it was the role and responsibility of organisations such as unions to offer advice and suggestions.

The people's biggest victory with the introduction of the euro, he said, was that the government could no longer be financially irrespon-sible or it would be named and shamed.

Malta, Prof. Scicluna stressed, had to increase its productivity and salaries had to be linked to productivity.

Replying to a question by a participant, Prof. Scicluna said it would be very difficult for Malta's deficit to remain under three per cent. The fact that the introduction of the euro came at the same time as the election did not help in deficit control.

Another speaker, Edward Zammit, said that in the past 20 to 30 years, the world had ­witnessed massive unemployment levels. It seemed it was now emerging from this situation but most jobs being created nowadays were part-time, indefinite, from home, casual or through agencies without the employee even knowing who the employer was. There were also workers who were economically dependent on an employer but who were called self-employed.

The biggest buzzword in Europe, he said, was flexicurity - flexibility and security. The social partners had to find a way of bringing about these two ideals. This required unions to be professional and contribute on all the bodies they were represented.

He called for another effort to establish a Trade Union Council.

Acting Labour leader Charles Mangion said that economic development in Malta was sectoral and the purchasing power of many workers had not been strengthened.

In spite of a reduction in public holidays, Malta's competitiveness still fell, according to the World Economic Forum, so the issue had to be tackled through other means such as the removal of unnecessary bureaucracy. A new Labour government would also remove income tax on overtime, Dr Mangion added.He said shipyards had a future especially since maritime trade in the Mediterranean was growing.

Nationalist MP Clyde Puli described the union's memorandum as a good initiative which the government would consider and evaluate. However, the party was not willing to tell the people only what they wanted to hear just because it was the eve of the election.

Josie Muscat, the leader of the newly set up Azzjoni Nazzjonali, said his party welcomed the union's proposals on the role of heads of corporations and state bodies and their appointment should be approved by a parliamentary body. Chairmen, he said, should be appointed by the President, who should be elected.

The AN wanted political parties to publish their accounts since the people deserved to know who was really managing the country.