GWU action 'endangering jobs'

The action taken by the General Workers' Union at the Freeport is sending the wrong message to foreign investors and endangering jobs, according to economic analyst John Cassar White.

Mr Cassar White was commenting on the union's decision to issue directives last Wednesday instructing port workers to go slow, work to rule and take their break at the same time.

The GWU took the action because of what it described as a "tainted decision" by the Malta Freeport to grant recognition to the Malta Dockers' Union as the main representative of its port workers.

Soon after, the court accepted a request by the Malta Freeport and issued a €1 million garnishee order against the GWU.

If the two unions could not reach a decision, then they should resort to court arbitration, Mr Cassar White said.

"Although both the union and the Freeport acted within their rights, one has to consider the consequences of their actions. The greatest concern should not be to endanger jobs in factories and companies dependent on the Freeport," he said.

However, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said the situation was a clear attempt to destroy the union.

After it ordered industrial action, in accordance with the law, the union ended up with its assets frozen, he told a seminar organised by GWU youths yesterday.

He described the garnishee order as disproportionate to the GWU's action. Following discussions with foreign trade unions, the union would soon make public statements which clearly showed the gravity of the situation. He appealed to everyone to show their solidarity with the union at this difficult time.

During the seminar, Labour Party deputy leader Toni Abela appealed to President George Abela to help resolve the situation and criticised the government for being a passive spectator.

The 11 unions that make up FOR.UM in a statement called on the Freeport to withdraw the garnishee order and for a secret ballot to be held among workers under the supervision of the two unions.

The trade unions said the Employment and Industrial Relations Act was not clear on how such issues should be resolved. They questioned whether the Freeport was completely satisfied with the process, especially since the GWU's own verification process produced a different result.

In a statement, the MDU said the issue was created by the GWU, and that the verification process carried out by the director of Employment and Industrial Relations only confirmed what was already known.