The unions that led two protests against the high water and electricity tariffs did everything in their power to block their introduction and there was little else they could do now, John Bencini said yesterday.
Mr Bencini, president of the Għaqda Unions Maltin, which groups the 11 unions that organised the two protests, said he saw no other avenue open to persuade the government to change its mind after Monday's Parliamentary vote.
The opposition's motion calling for the withdrawal of the legal notice that introduced higher utility tariffs from January 1 was defeated when all government MPs voted against.
"All unions have to respect the rule of law and we did all that was possible at law to make the government change its mind on the tariffs," Mr Bencini said when asked whether the GħUM was considering taking the matter to court or even calling a general strike.
He said no meeting of the organisation had yet been scheduled and the matter would be discussed by all the unions.
Mr Bencini condemned the derogatory language used on Monday by "about 40 or 50 people" during the protest outside Parliament, insisting the booing and offensive words towards government MPs did not have his blessing or that of other union leaders.
He insisted the unions did not want to organise the protests held on Sunday and Monday and had been ready to call them off had the government agreed to discuss matters "without putting a gun" to their heads.
"The government wanted to push ahead at all costs. It has a mandate to govern and a right to legislate but it now has to shoulder political responsibility for its actions," Mr Bencini said, insisting the tariffs would have a negative impact on the economy and people's quality of life.
Had all those who were against the high utility tariffs supported the cause of the 11 unions, he added, the government would have backed down.
"However, it felt it had the support of others and decided to forge ahead," he said.
The general secretary of the General Workers' Union, Tony Zarb was tight-lipped when asked whether further action was being contemplated.
"We will see after holding talks with the other unions," he said. Mr Zarb would not comment either when asked whether the GWU would go solo and contemplate any actions of its own.
Meanwhile, in a tit-for-tat over comments made by the general secretary of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, Gejtu Vella on the talk show Bondiplus on Monday night about the 1997 protest against the Labour government's decision to raise utility tariffs, the Malta Union of Teachers said yesterday it had attended that protest as well.
The MUT said it had condemned the very few who in 1997 had insulted Labour government MPs, just as it condemned those who on Monday insulted Nationalist government MPs.
The UĦM accused the MUT of "falling into the GWU's trap" by attending Monday's protest, which was backed by the Labour Party.
"In 1997, the UĦM had organised the protest on its own without the backing of any political party," it said.