I refer to the article Verification Exercise Indicates MDU As Having Majority Support (April 9), particularly the points raised by the Director of Employment and Industrial Relations, Noel Vella, to justify the verification process he conducted among Licensed Port Workers.

Dr Vella was quoted as saying that the GWU had never raised any doubts about the verification process before. His statement is completely unfounded.

The Director of Employment and Industrial Relations should be reminded of the many instances when the GWU's Deputy Secretary General Gejtu Mercieca brought to his attention the serious lack of secrecy that such a verification process carries.

One such instance was when Mr Mercieca personally intervened and stopped the verification process by interviews at Maltapost plc.

Dr Vella on his part has always contended that the verification process is efficient enough and also that his department is not adequately manned.

Moreover, the secret ballot democratically conducted by the GWU was carried out in just one single day, while Dr Vella's unilateral verification process took three whole days to conclude.

As regards the legal actions that the management of the Freeport is considering taking against the GWU, the union says that such actions by the Freeport management threaten industrial democracy and are intended to stall the GWU from resorting to just and legally legitimate industrial action.

The GWU states also that if the Freeport management sees fit, it is free to put the case before the Industrial Tribunal.

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