New dawn of trust between unions

It is a popular belief that once lost, trust cannot be restored. Though there are situations when this is true, it is not always the case and Edward Zammit knows this well enough. During a seminar organised by the General Workers’ Union, Prof. Zammit said that his scepticism about the possibility of unity among trade unions in Malta changed into positive expectations following the exchange of views, which he facilitated, between the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions, the GWU and Forum.

In the seminar, John Bencini, who heads the Forum, explained how important it was for a person to be able to challenge his own prejudice, be open to what others have to say and find the courage from within to be objective and adjust one’s position. In my opinion this was an important insight as such a powerful experience enables one to discover a whole new perspective of people and the world around him. It does not destroy you but it liberates you and enriches you with new relationships and often exposes you to new opportunities that were previously impossible to have.

Mr Bencini was sharing this experience with regard to how he and the GWU’s secretary general Tony Zarb developed a working relationship in the last two years, as two leading trade unionists. It was an exercise in humility, showing the right intent. Being able to recognise one’s own biases and rising above them shows that the motivation is genuine, that there are no hidden agendas and that one’s actions are driven by the common good as opposed to caring only for oneself.

William Portelli, president of the CMTU, who shared the panel with Mr Bencini and Mr Zarb, emphasised the value of respect as the basis of building trust. It depends, he said, on how you treat your colleagues, on how you manage disagreements and on how you value the worth of an individual whether you agree with him/her or not. He praised the mediation of Prof. Zammit, who managed to open a dialogue between the three parties and acknowledged the value of this communication and his commitment to it.

Mr Portelli also referred to the CMTU report about the way forward with regard to the future collaboration between the three parties and described briefly the effort that went into it in order to rope in the different views of most organisations. Mr Zarb was quick to acknowledge that the GWU agrees with most issues raised in the report.

Mr Portelli showed transparency in his presentation about what he and his organisation believe in. He held himself accountable and stood by what the report says but left the door open for discussion and possible changes. His approach was one for clarification of expectations to avoid conflict.

Conscious that misunderstandings are often the root causes of conflict, he emphasised the need to be clear and truthful, especially when the situation is a difficult one. Mr Zarb’s passion for unity within the trade union movement came across loud and clear. He emphasised the value of being genuine in one’s dealings. He was not only making a case to be honest but to be congruent, inside and out. He explained how the GWU supported the Forum in its endeavour to gain recognition as a confederation of unions and membership in the European Trade Union Confederation. He said that the GWU was not under any obligation to do this but it believed that such support could only be beneficial to the movement.

Mr Zarb was walking the talk here and it was evident that for him credibility is very important.

He went further in describing the presentation of Prof. Zammit as a road map that should lead to the unity of the movement. He said that the excellent working relationship that he has with Mr Bencini was a recent development which came after years of a lukewarm relationship. Mr Zarb was sending a clear message to Mr Portelli and the CMTU that he was eager to collaborate with them as he sees a great opportunity to work together particularly in the face of the emerging challenges. He seemed to indicate that the age of building walls was over, and that it was the time for bridge building.

During this seminar the three leaders showed a level of maturity and professionalism that went beyond leadership. Prof. Zammit went so far as to describe this as statesmanship. Mssrs Bencini, Portelli and Zarb were showing an ability to establish, grow, extend and restore trust, which was never seen before in the trade union movement.

I have no doubt that the three of them realised that the cost of mistrust was too high to bear and instead opted for the values of trust, integrity, intent and competence, positioning themselves well for the benefit of their loyal members. They may have just tapped into the key leadership competence that changes organisations from good to great. I wish them the best.

Mr Gerada is Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Human Resources Development.