It is being constantly repeated that the unions made history when, on November 14, they joined forces and held a protest march in the capital city. The protest as a united front may be considered as historical as we had never witnessed representatives of the two major trade unions rubbing shoulders and carrying a banner while marching in the streets.

This, however, is only part of history because nearly three years ago the unions made history too when they assembled around a negotiating table and discussed at length the possibility of drafting a social pact that would be respected by all unions and the government. Unfortunately, after hours of talks, no such agreement was reached and, after such a big effort, the unions went back to their usual paths and tactics.

So, to get the historical event straight, the November 14 protest march must be considered as a second attempt to bring Maltese trade unions together, raising the possibility of a Trades Union Council being established.

The relationship between our two major trade unions, namely the General Workers' Union and the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, historically has not been that rosy for any worker to start hoping for such an accomplishment. When the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions was set up in 1959 the aim was to get all unions together but the GWU refused to join. To add insult to injury, when the CMTU called its first national strike in 1984 the GWU refused to participate and encouraged its members to consider the day business as usual.

Over the last few years, the GWU has expressed its intentions of uniting the unions and agreeing on a social pact. That plan did not materialise because, this time around, it was the UĦM that could not agree.

It seems that now the unions may want to grab the bull by its horns and, hopefully, realise that as long as the workers' representatives have a common objective, the path chosen to reach that objective is what really matters. This is why a TUC is the ideal way forward for the unions to consolidate their members' trust. Unfortunately, workers are not that optimistic because we know very well the sort of bipolarity that exists between the large unions. If our unions unite and there is no political agenda behind the measures or actions taken, then it is not only workers who will benefit but also the whole country. Healthy discussions yielding sound solutions are the only way forward, and all stand to gain.

A TUC should go down well with the present Administration as there will be fewer hours lost in disputes and more fruitful measures can be agreed upon. Our country needs to maintain a stable political environment given the economic turbulence around us. I am in favour of the formation of a TUC and hope that such a council will liaise with the government as this will reinforce the Nationalist Party's slogan that together everything is possible.

Mr Cini is a former president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses.

rudolphc@onvol.net