Police, soldiers, should be able to join unions - UHM

The Union Haddiema Maghqudin this morning again called on the government to grant policemen, soldiers, civil protection officers and prison wardens the right to join a trade union.

Addressing a news conference this morning against the background of mannequins dressed in the uniforms of the various services, UHM general secretary Gejtu Vella said that these workers did not want the right to strike.

What they wanted was to be on an equal footing with other sectors in talks relating to their working conditions. They wanted to get solutions to their problems and their queries replied to in a timely manner.

UHM president Gejtu Tanti said that the UHM had been pressuring the authorities to give these sectors this right to be unionised for about two years.

On May 1 last year, the UHM sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking for these people to be given this right.

But, 13 months later, the union had still not received a reply except for an acknowledgement. The union will be sending the authorities another letter today.

Mr Vella said that the issue had now been going on for too long and there were several discrepancies within the sectors, relating to the 25-year-service, overtime and recruitment, which needed to be settled.