Updated: MCESD members against change in council's composition

Six of the seven members on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development bodies are against a change in the composition of the council.

A change has been sought since Forum, a group of 11 unions, requested membership on the MCESD months ago.

The government insisted that for changes to the existing structure of the council to be made, there had to be consensus among the social partners.

The parliamentary secretariat for public dialogue said in a statement this afternoon that the government had been doing its utmost for a solution to be found and about a year ago Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said proposed the setting up of a working group to discuss the composition and future of the MCESD.

Earlier today, the Forum siad that after it was informed that the council was being set up last January, it did not heard anything else about the matter.

It said it had requested membership on the MCESD six years ago.

The Forum said it was shameful of the government to persist in such a netative attitude, ignoring the wishes of the 11 unions within Forum. who together represented 12,000 members..

It said that it was ironic that while Forum's European partners had accepted Forum within the European Trade Union Committee within a year and a half of submitting a request, the government retained its arrogant and senseless attitude.

The secretariat said in its reply that the social partners were asked to move proposals and nearly all emphasised the need that the way the MCESD worked should only be changed through consensus.

Dr Said then individually met all representatives more than once to try to get to a solution.

But six out of the seven organisations on the MCESD, representing unions and employer bodies, did not want any changes in the composition of the council.

The only organisation which was in favour of change was the GWU, which wanted five representatives each from unions, employers and civil society, doing away with the government's representation.

The secretariat said that Forum was informed of all these developments so it was deceitful to say that the government had not done anything for it to become a member.

Forum president John Bencini insisted this evening that although the Forum knew that the committee had been set up, it was never been told about any of the discussions within it.

The secretariat said that the government was also taking other action to ensure that Forum took part in the process of social dialogue and Forum had been taking part in the Meusac core group since the beginning of the year.

The government said it was to continue working for a consensus to be found on how the Forum and other organisations could take part in the MCESD structures.