Juan Ameen
Unions' rift remains wide open
The teachers' union could not expect solidarity from the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin unless it worked for it, the UĦM general secretary, Gejtu Vella said yesterday.
If the Malta Union of Teachers wanted the UĦM's support then it would have to rebuild the trust between his union and the confederation of unions, he said.
Mr Vella was replying to a statement issued by the MUT thanking the unions that were present at Friday's rally. During the rally, the MUT ordered a one-day strike on Thursday for teachers in all state and Church schools after complaining that the government had not started talks on an "addendum" to a 2007 agreement.
The unions present for the rally were the Forum of Maltese Trade Unions and the General Workers' Union, the MUT said.
The MUT said it had also invited the UĦM and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions. "The UĦM expressed its solidarity with MUT when it was part of the CMTU. What happened made a difference and they cannot expect us to express solidarity the way they want," Mr Vella said.
Similarly, CMTU president William Portelli pointed out that the MUT did not form part of the confederation any more. Had the MUT not left, the CMTU would have done its best to see what needed to be done for its support, he said.
"Solidarity and credibility need to be worked for and both are lacking in the MUT," he said.
The MUT withdrew its membership of the CMTU and soon after joined Forum after a squabble that took place in December. The CMTU had suspended the MUT following a dispute after it had proposed the formation of a Trades Union Council just days after all trade unions joined forces to protest against the new utility rates.
The MUT's proposal was described by Mr Portelli as "untimely" and this led to a war of words. Although the teachers' union took exception to this comment, Mr Portelli refused to retract it.
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Emanuel Farrugia
Apr 27th 2009, 20:36
Mr. Gejtu Vella, what about the workers' interests ? Shame, Shame.
J Busuttl
Apr 27th 2009, 17:37
@jeremy j C amilleri Yes the GWU is a PRO LABOUR UNION, See it's newspapers L-Orizzont and It-Torca and one can see that this phrase is correct. The other unions who are now in line with the GWU should notice this. UNLESS the GWU is really free the workers in Malta will stay divided because politics divide. On the other hand there is no need for a single confederation of Trade Unions because democracy needs plurality. The thing the workers need is solidarity between unions and Confederations of unions but to have solidarity politics must be put aside of tradeunionism and secondly it must be constant and not when one 0nly needs it. Also every union must respect each union's line of action.
G.Schembri
Apr 27th 2009, 17:24
Can you please leave party politics out of this!
Jeremy J Camilleri
Apr 27th 2009, 16:54
J busuttill...Pro labour? Are all the Unions in the newly formed trade union council pro labour? In any case, is the UHM pro Pn?
Jeremy J Camilleri
Apr 27th 2009, 16:43
J busuttill...Pro labour? Are all the Unions in the newly formed trade union council pro labour?
Is the MUT pro Pn?
G.Schembri
Apr 27th 2009, 16:40
If the MUT are fighting for a good cause other unions should support them. Had Gejtu Vella said he could not support MUT because he disagreed with their cause I would have understood, but to say they did not support them because they were no longer a part of CMTU is silly, to say the least.
Maybe UHM has other friends it wants yo support, these friends could be the people MUT is quarrelling with. Or maybe UHM wants to take some members from MUT, like it took members from other unions.
Joseph Cauchi
Apr 27th 2009, 13:12
.
Is the MUT playing the maverick card, now?
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JF Vassallo Ebejer
Apr 27th 2009, 12:53
@ Joe Cassar
Well said
J Busuttil
Apr 27th 2009, 11:48
After the MUT inaction following the GWU's attack on UHM, the MUT has to work hard to gain the favours of our union. The TUC fracas was brought about by the MUT not bringing the issue FIRST in the CMTU Council but instead took a solitary lead. On water and electricity tariffs The Mut, the pro labour GWU et al has not changed anything since the last meeting with the PM. They failed in their wrong path they took.
Joe Cassar
Apr 27th 2009, 10:36
As far as I can see, it is the UHM and the CMTU which need to work hard to regain their credibilty, after the matter of the electricity tariffs.
James Grech
Apr 27th 2009, 10:27
Disgusting and unprofessional behaviour of both UHM and CMTU to say the least.