Trade unions clash over TUC meeting

One week after trade unions marched arm in arm to protest against the new energy tariffs, the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions and the Malta Union of Teachers have fallen out over a meeting called by the former to discuss the setting up of a Trade Union Council.

In a statement, CMTU president William Portelli said the MUT had failed to attend yesterday's meeting with other affiliated unions in order to explain the teachers' union's proposal on the setting up of a TUC.

When contacted for his reaction, MUT president John Bencini said the reason they had not attended was that the meeting had already been "prejudiced".

He would not elaborate, saying it was a "long story". The union will be calling a press conference today to explain fully why it had not turned up.

Earlier this week, the MUT called on its counterparts to join it in an initiative to set up a Trade Union Council. It called a meeting for December 5, saying it would be considered an expression of interest from trade unions.

In their initial reactions to the MUT's invitation, Tony Zarb, general secretary of the General Workers' Union, was enthusiastic but his counterpart at the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, Gejtu Vella gave a tepid response, saying a TUC was not a priority right now.

The CMTU's meeting was called to discuss the proposal ahead of the December meeting.

Speaking on the PBS talk show Dissett on Wednesday, the CMTU head expressed disappointment that the MUT had announced its initiative publicly before first discussing the matter within the confederation, of which it is a member.

Mr Bencini said yesterday the MUT had received a call about the urgent CMTU meeting two hours before it was due to be held. He was livid that the CMTU, in its statement, "did not even have the decency to include the reasons we gave them for not attending".

The CMTU council yesterday unanimously decided that the proposal had first to be presented and discussed within the CMTU before members could accept the MUT's invitation to a meeting on December 5.

The confederation also expressed its disappointment at the MUT's failure to attend the meeting. It said the CMTU would remain open to any suggestions for unions to continue working together in the future.

Efforts to contact Mr Portelli proved futile.