Policemen win right to join a union, but not to strike

Angelo Vassallo

Oct 14th 2011, 08:39

@ D. A. Agius

In October of 2009 the gwu was ONLY giving its backing to the policemen who filed a judicial protest in the Maltese Courts calling for payment of overtime and called on the government to give policemen union rights. That was it, nothing else since then.

It was the UHM that in the last two years worked hard for this issue to be solved. It started with officially writing to the Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi asking for union recognition not just for policemen but also for Soldiers and Prison Wardens. It was only the UHM who brought to Malta members of the European police forces and unions from the European Union for talks with the Maltese Government regarding this issue.

robert vassallo

Oct 13th 2011, 19:18

This is history well done to Malta police association and a big thanks to Dr Robert abela .

Lucia Borg

Oct 13th 2011, 16:45

It's a good thing they have the right to finally join a union. Wonder now if the union they will choose will help them in the battle they are fighting againt the governmet to pay them what is due....

Angelo Vassallo

Oct 13th 2011, 15:27

On June 02, of this year, the UNION HADDIEMA MAGHQUDIN had urged the government to grant police officers, soldiers, civil protection officers and prison warders the right to join a trade union of their choice.

The UHM than had said that the Maltese authorities were taking civil security officers for a ride. The UHM was not calling for the right to strike but for an equal footing with other sectors in talks relating to these officers’ working conditions.

The UHM had been putting pressure on the authorities to grant this right for about two years and on May 1, 2010, the UHM had insisted with government that policemen, soldiers, civil protection officers and prison warders should be offered the possibility of joining a union.

The UHM had said that this issue had been dragging on for too long. Now that thanks to the UNION HADDIEMA MAGHQUDIN, the policemen have won the right to join a union, now the time is ripe, that other several discrepancies, such as overtime, should be addressed and resolved through the UHM.

THANK YOU UHM