The Confederation of Malta Trade Unions has launched a bid for unity among unions, to respect each other and to refrain from attacking each other in public.
CMTU president William Portelli said his organisation was “leading by example” in its attempt to bring unions closer together with, among others, the introduction of “ethical trade unionism” and the avoidance of “further fragmentation”.
Its bid would start with a proposed memorandum of understanding with the General Workers’ Union, the other Maltese representative on the European Confederation of Trade Unions. It hoped the agreement could then be rolled out to other organisations and confederations such as the Forum, the umbrella organisation composed of 12 unions.
The aim was to strengthen cooperation among trade unions, something the ETUC had complained about.
The CMTU is calling for a plan of action that would start by laying down a number of rules to strengthen trade union ethics. Thus, trade unions would refrain from attacking officials of other unions in the media and during public events and would strive for a better understanding with a view of adopting common positions on matters of national interest and of interest to workers.
The proposed agreement, he said, was the first step towards more cooperation among trade unions and eventual unity.
“What the CMTU is after is more respect between trade unions which, at the end of day, have the same aim: the protection and safeguarding of workers’ interest,” he said.
Mr Portelli said the proposed memorandum of understanding had not yet been discussed with the GWU but the union had been informed about its intentions.
Asked whether this could be interpreted as a step towards setting up a Trades Union Council, a call made numerous times in the past, Mr Portelli did not exclude this happening but said the CMTU wanted to take “one step at a time”. That would be another phase, he said.
The setting up of a TUC has been on the cards for several years but has failed to came to fruition for a number of reasons, mainly concerns that unions would lose their autonomy.
The CMTU and its main affiliate, the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, had spoken against setting up a TUC. UĦM general secretary Gejtu Vella said last December his union believed a TUC would not benefit workers, adding this was not the right time to form such a council.
Mr Vella said yesterday his union was backing the proposed agreement because it felt ethical standards were lacking in relations between trade unions in Malta.
When contacted, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said his union was all out for all trade unions to stand united in their quest to continue protecting workers and their families and pledged to continue working for this unity to become a reality.
The GWU’s position on the proposed memorandum of understanding would be made known during a news conference on Monday, Mr Zarb said.