Former port workers staged a brief demonstration outside the Finance Ministry in Valletta yesterday when they delivered a letter to government officials asking for their share from a pension fund.

The group of about 600 is backed by the General Workers’ Union, which had met the Finance Minister some two months ago to discuss the issue.

“The ministry promised to come back with a proposal but they never did,” GWU secretary general Tony Zarb said.

The union called a meeting for the former port workers and their heirs yesterday, to which some 300 attended. After the meeting, union officials accompanied by the people present, hand-delivered a letter addressed to the Finance Minister.

The former port workers carried placards appealing for their share from the Pension and Contingency Fund and reminding the minister of his €600 per week pay rise.

The fund used to be administered by port workers, shipping agents and the government. It was set up by law in 1974 and at one point the kitty had some €47 million in it.

Mr Zarb said in the past, after every reform, port workers, including those who were retired, always received a lump sum payment from the fund. He said it was not clear what had happened to the fund. This time around former port workers did not benefit despite having contributed to the fund for years.

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