GWU demands meeting over release of shipyard workers

The General Workers' Union yesterday wrote to the management of Malta Shipyards requesting a meeting to settle the release of workers who applied for the early retirement scheme.

Last Friday, the shipyards' Marsa branch came to a standstill for several hours after the GWU ordered industrial action.

The union ordered what is technically known as stoppage, which means workers simply put their tools down and stop working for a number of hours.

The management said the actions were jeopardising the privatisation process.

The union had claimed that while 148 Maltese workers who applied for an early retirement scheme were paid their severance package and released from duty, foreign workers employed on a temporary basis were still working there.

In a letter to the management yesterday, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb declared an industrial dispute at the shipyards following the release of the 148 employees.

He said these workers were released after getting their severance pay but the foreigners had been retained and were doing the work previously done by the Maltese, in violation of what had been previously agreed. He complained that the union had not been consulted or notified.

Mr Zarb said the fact that the dismissal notices were mailed at the same time as the management and the union were holding talks for a smooth privatisation process demonstrated bad faith.

The management explained last Friday that it had asked employees who applied for the early retirement schemes to stay on and help finish pending projects.

It said an agreement was reached on the matter with the GWU, stipulating that workers could be released from duty once their work was completed and their severance pay settled.

The same agreement, the management continued, also laid down that, in this transition process, foreign labourers would still continue to work at the shipyard at the same time that local employees were released from duty, due to differing skills.

It had said the action taken by the GWU could affect the privatisation process and the future of those workers who had not accepted the early retirement schemes.