John Monks, the general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, has written to Maltese trade unions urging them to form a Trades Union Council.
"I think the time is right for another effort to be made in that direction. I wonder whether you would consult among yourselves with a view to opening the possibility for concerted work and single representation, perhaps in relation to EU activities in the first instance," he said in his letter.
The letter was addressed to General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb, Forum of Maltese Unions president John Bencini, and William Portelli, head of the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU).
"I am prompted to write to you to again raise the subject of a proposed unified Malta TUC that has been discussed, on and off, for several years. With the creation of Forum, there are three focal points for trade unions in Malta," he said.
Mr Monks offered his help, saying that one of the ETUC's functions "is to seek to promote cooperation and, if possible, unity between affiliates in the same country".
He also mentioned economist Edward Zammit as a possible mediator in the discussions on the formation of the TUC.
The formation of a Maltese version of a Trades Union Council climbs up to the forefront of unions' agendas every now and then.
The last time the unions were discussing this possibility was in January when 11 unions, which at the time were opposing the new utility tariffs, got together to try and form this council on an idea floated by the Malta Union of Teachers.
But Union Ħaddiema Magħ-qudin and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions had poured cold water on the idea, arguing there were more pressing issues to deal with.
When contacted, UĦM general secretary Gejtu Vella said he still believed a TUC was not in the best interest of workers. He said healthy competition between trade unions, in term of ideas and innovation, was good for workers and the country.
Trade unions in Malta had their unique features and on a national level, there should be this flexible arrangement, he said.
Mr Vella also questioned which country they would emulate when forming its TUC. In the UK, he said, trade unions were hit hard in the time of Margaret Thatcher.
CMTU President William Por-telli was not so explicit in his reply. He said trade unions in Malta had tried forming a council in 2006 but it had never worked out. He said the union should discuss and agree on common ground before going any further.