Oiling the cog wheels

Labels and brand names are today an important feature to help people identify themselves with a particular service or product. Companies have placed this very high in their marketing strategy to ensure they keep their market share and, possibly, further expand their economic activity. Thus, labels are only important if they reflect the true values and substance of the product or service.

Unions are also branded, either by choice or by public perception. Remaining relevant in a society that is changing and becoming more self-centred needs attention, strategy and vision.

Political parties also package and brand their service and political creed in a nice wrapper. Thankfully, both extreme left and extreme right have fizzled away under popular pressures. Political ideologies have shifted towards the centre, albeit coming from the left and the right. Nowadays, having most of the political parties walking towards the centre in terms of ideology, tilting on certain issues to a small degree from left to right or vice-versa has become fashionable.

Companies, unions, religious orders, political parties but, then, even the government have to stick to their tag at all times to ensure that they retain the necessary support. Alternatively, credibility will diminish.

The government's present line-up is made of various seasoned politicians coupled with a new dynamic group. A line-up of people sharing different opinions but coming together under one label, forming the Executive.

Coming from different backgrounds they include, though not exclusively, neo-liberals, right-wingers, social democrats and demo-Christians. Presumably they share an objective that was and still is well entrenched in the socio-political scenario: social dialogue, albeit to different levels.

Regretfully, during this new legislature, something that is still unknown to many involved in the socio-economic environment has been noticed among politicians in the driving seat.

We have witnessed a couple of instances where dialogue has been relegated to lip service. The UĦM cannot allow this to happen or take this situation lightly. Social dialogue is both a means and an end. Like any other complex processes, there are a number of different definitions but lip service should not be allowed to be a substitute to meaningful social dialogue.

An exchange of ideas, a willingness to listen and to respect others' opinion is necessary. Dialogue is not about various parties, unions or other organisations making statements and speeches and adopting fixed positions from which they will not budge.

Some recent events rubbed people the wrong way while eyebrows were raised during the first months of this new legislature. The UĦM did not stop short from making this point known at various levels but the introduction of the hefty fuel surcharge was the cherry on the cake, any social dialogue being simply missing.

Notwithstanding the existing tripartite bodies such as the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD), the Employment Relations Board (ERB) and the Malta EU Steering Action Committee (Meusac), which is once again on stream, social dialogue remained missing.

The government is fast losing the true meaning of social dialogue. In certain areas the government is making a mockery out of social dialogue. This government, which adopted a meaningful strategy of consultation in the past, is now taking a different approach that cannot be tolerated.

While it is understandable that the process of consultation at times may be tedious, any government should not expect the other social partners to simply endorse its plans and use the social partners to rubber stamp such plans. This is certainly not the best practice in conducting serious consultations. Conducting proper consultation exercises on issues that are sensitive both economically and socially with the social partners is a must.

The UĦM expects the government to ensure that, since Malta has joined the European Union, meaningful social dialogue becomes more central in the decision making process.

The UĦM has worked to entrench this practice in our socio-political scenario. Making it more efficient will find our total support and commitment but we will not let anybody, including the government, make a travesty of social dialogue.

Mr Vella is general secretary of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin.

gvella@uhm.org.mt