Police association calls for setting up of union
The police association yesterday publicly called for the setting up of a police union, having raised the issue internally six years go.
As things stand, police officers are barred from forming a union by law but most officers felt their rights were not being protected and it was time the law was amended. The association said that, "after all, if the conditions of the force were improved, it would result in a better and more efficient service that would benefit the country".
If such a union were set up, the association said, restrictions and conditions would have to be imposed to suit a disciplined force so as not to threaten national security through industrial action. Despite the support of the General Workers' Union, the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and the Labour Party, the issue remains solely in the hands of the government, which, is not favourable to the idea.
In a seminar about the subject organised by the GWU last month, Police Commissioner John Rizzo was careful in not taking a stand. He said he did not want to be dragged into a situation where police officers did not follow orders on grounds that what they had been told to do was outside their job description.
"I am not giving my opinion about whether the police should be allowed to form part of a union or not but just that there is more to the issue of whether they should be allowed to strike or not," he said.
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JC Mifsud
Feb 16th 2010, 17:00
The senior staff will surely oppose for the union since they are happy with the current situation, as stated by the commissioner of police that he doesn't want job descriptions to police officers. Unfortunately in the police force there is a management crisis since it's a one man show and everyone is scared of taking decisions.
Eddie Attard
Feb 16th 2010, 16:32
German, Swedish, French, Belgian and other police forces have a police union. What's wrong in having a Malta Police Union?
D. A . Agius
Feb 16th 2010, 13:11
The union needs to be there because the Police Administration and government in general are useless where it comes to the rights of the Police and they do need third parties to instigate change and better conditions.
What I suggest is to have a customized Union formed up by the large trade unions but acting as a single entity which would then have trusted representatives available for police and soldiers.
The Commissioner is not afraid of officers not performing orders which would result in the direct loss of service to citizens, as police are over that. He's probably afraid that the force administration will be scrutinized in public and the great injustices already happening be made public.
As things stand, a Policeman is today a puppet at the mercy of Commissioner or Minister.
Carmelo Magri
Feb 16th 2010, 11:01
No way. God forbid if ever the security forces are given the permission to be members of a trade union. Whom will they obey, Their commanders or their union leaders? No dice. Those who are inciting for union membership should be thrown out of the security forces. We have to many bad apples and corruption in