MUT takes initiative to form TUC

A. Vassallo

Nov 17th 2008, 20:44

I just have to agree with J. Bonello. Whenever there was a Nationalist Government, the GWU always comes up with the TUC idea. On the other hand, pre-1987 and between 1996 and 1998, when there was a Labour Government, the GWU always played alongside the MLP whilst forgetting it was a trade union. Do not forget that for a long time, the MLP and GWU statutes where one and the same and once the GWU even had two seats in the Mintoff Cabinets.

@ V Fenech
You are completely and absolutely wrong. It is very convenient for you to forget what actually happened in 2004. On the contrary, it was the GWU that at the eleventh hour, it chickened out and had the (UHM’s) Social Pact been signed, we would be in a much better situation today.

C.Camilleri

Nov 17th 2008, 18:15

@ J. Bencini. The lack of attendance by your members at the protest march should make you reflect on any such move. TUC that you are dreaming about will only last as long the NP is in Govt. With the GWU being the privileged partner of a labour Govt all other unions will have to struggle to survive. Those who do not suffer from amnesia still remember how the GWU used to support the free trade unions during labour times.

M J Gatt

Nov 17th 2008, 18:00

@Dear Mr. Christopher Cutajar
History is on the side of J Bonello and it has a way of repeating itself. Do you remember when the tariffs were increased skyhigh by the MLP when oil was $12 per barrel? That time the GWU continued studying while other unions were trying to take action. At that time, it did not join the other unions. I think that perhaps it is you who should refrain from reading certain papers that ignore the current mondial crisis which is breaking the economy of rich nations. We must consider ourselves lucky in the cicumstances.

Emanuel Farrugia

Nov 17th 2008, 17:59

@ Mr. J. Borg,
I would not give J. Bonello the time of day, least of all the satisfaction of confirming that I read his blog.

What a psychological complex, no wonder there are civil wars. Well done MUT. Carry on Mr. Bencini

philip pace

Nov 17th 2008, 17:30

This is a very smart move and all the Unions should accept the offer.
In the present world where all that the workers have managed to acheive in the last 50 years or more is being eroded by new unlawful legislations, bureaucracy, political dogmatism, power hungry egocentric politicians, young academic upstarts, etc, the idea to form such a massive group of trade unions is a must for all those who are seeing their working world getting smaller and smaller.
While the majority of the Maltese agree on this- as witnessed in these last 15 days, persons like Mr.Bonello want to take a step backwards and he would only stop when we reach Charles Dickens times.
Mr.Bonello time stops for now one and you have to move ahead.

J.Bonello

Nov 17th 2008, 16:24

Christopher Cutajar - J Borg - Both of you have lost the gist of my submission. What I am contending is that the suggested TUC will only hold together so long as the MLP is not in power. Using the power of incumbency or being pathetic has absolutely nothing to do with it. I am ‘morally convinced’ that once the MLP is in power, the GWU will undoubtedly forget its primary role and revert to its only real role - that of being the prime traitor of the worker. Past events have proved me right and I am sure that future ones will do so again. Arguments about ‘power of incumbency’ or of ‘being pathetic’ do not fit into this scenario. I can only hope and pray that I might be proved wrong but I seriously doubt it.

A Mangion

Nov 17th 2008, 16:03

Dear all I suggest you read Manuel Micallef article in yesterday's ILLUM. It speaks volumes about this TUC initiative!

Christopher Cutajar

Nov 17th 2008, 15:45

Dear J. Bonello,
We need to get the working class out of the bipartite polarity. PN has been in power for so long, cause the MLP hasn't offered enough adjourned policies for the people of Malta, and also due to the power of incumbency manifested by;
- 70mn euro increase in public expenditure in the first 3months of this year by our ministries
- 6,000 people engaged in the civil sector before the election
- mega-production of MEPA permits before the election, many of them being revoked afterwards

Having this scenario, we should be proud that one of three major forces in our economy, i.e. the workers, are uniting themselves. Nationalists workers and Labourite workers will start to realise that it is their economic situation that must bring them together, instead of having the political ideology dividing them.

You should start reading less 'Mument', 'Nazzjon' and biased reports on gazettes like this one, to have a new mindset.

V Fenech

Nov 17th 2008, 15:21

Remember that it was the initiative by the GWU which stopped Lawrence Gonzi from his dirty trick of dismantling the MCESD by a Social Pact way back in 2004!

J.Borg

Nov 17th 2008, 15:03

how pathetic Mr.J.Bonello

J.Borg

Nov 17th 2008, 14:31

Great move from MUT........i think all unions should take head and attend the meeting without any prejudices....

Frans Sammut

Nov 17th 2008, 14:30

Good one, John. Best wishes! This is the good old Bencini spirit!!

J.Bonello

Nov 17th 2008, 14:18

Well, I am sure that the TUC will only exist so long as the MLP are not in power. I think it is a fair bet to say that once the MLP are in power than the TUC would be disbanded so that the GWU would again be 'joined in matrimony' with that same MLP.