The row that erupted between the Malta Union of Teachers and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions on Thursday was over a word, it emerged yesterday.
The teachers' union took exception to the fact that the president of the CMTU, William Portelli, referred to the MUT's call for a Trades Union Council (TUC) as "untimely".
So hurt was the MUT it did not attend an urgent meeting called by the confederation to discuss the TUC idea on Thursday, prompting the latter to issue a statement rebuking the teacher's union publicly.
"We were utterly shocked when we received the circular," MUT president John Bencini told a news conference yesterday as he demanded that Mr Portelli withdraw the word.
When contacted, Mr Portelli said he would not, adding the MUT had misinterpreted the context in which the word was used. The word was specifically referring to the fact that unions had other issues to resolve before setting their sights on a TUC.
"All the unions are focusing on the water and electricity rates issue and we are all hoping to resolve this issue. The word did not prejudice the meeting, so much so that all CMTU members attended. The CMTU still expects the MUT to give the full reasons why it did not attend. The CMTU's doors are always open to discuss further a way forward on all issues," he said.
When asked about the possible consequences of Mr Portelli not withdrawing "the word", Mr Bencini did not exclude pulling out of the confederation, saying, ominously, that the MUT would meet to discuss its future as an affiliate of the CMTU.
The CMTU statute, he pointed out, provides for an internal procedure that needs to be followed before a matter becomes public.
But beyond the MUT's future within the CMTU, the bickering does not bode well for the setting up a TUC, a mirage which seemed as though it could possibly materialise in the wake of the historic protest organised last Friday when 20 trade unions marched arm in arm to protest against the new energy tariffs.
After that protest, in fact, the MUT floated its proposal and set a meeting for December 5, saying that attendance by unions would be taken as an expression of interest.
As a result of the dispute, the meeting has now been postponed to January 16.
Mr Bencini insisted yesterday that the MUT never had any intention of causing a rift among unions. After receiving a circular calling for the urgent meeting in which the MUT's call for a TUC was referred to as "untimely", the union felt that attending the meeting "did not make sense".
"All we wanted to do was to promote a basis of a TUC that would keep unions working together all year round. The MUT never wanted to put the CMTU in an uncomfortable position. The CMTU president has to explain this and should shoulder the responsibility of what he wrote," he said.
Despite the acrimony, Mr Bencini said the MUT was not disheartened at this first stumbling block and added he remained optimistic that a TUC could be set up.
In their initial reactions to the MUT's idea, Tony Zarb, general secretary of the General Workers' Union, was enthusiastic but his counterpart at the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, Gejtu Vella, gave a tepid response, saying a TUC was not a priority right now.