Commentators, party leaders, officials and leaders of the business community and trade unions, leading journalists and close friends of former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff their respects during the past days.
Dom’s socialist economic and social policy brought about deprivation and hardship to many but rewarded the few- Gejtu Vella
Many people from different walks of life also paid tribute to the man. Others amplified on the wide range of capabilities Mintoff possessed and administered during his term in office as Prime Minister.
Although controversial in his actions he undoubtedly strived to alleviate the hardship of many people, particularly those at the lower end of the social ladder. However, the methods adopted were debatable.
Mintoff may well be remembered for the various successful initiatives which he led but he will also be remembered for the maverick attack on the trade union movement.
Dom, as he was commonly known among his loyal supporters and followers, had earned a reputation only a handful have managed to attain during their term in office. Rightly or wrongly, Dom was called many other superlatives no other leader of this small country has been called or earned.
Indeed, Mintoff introduced a variety of social services between 1971 and 1976 and it was only a natural path for the Malta Labour Party under the stewardship of Mintoff that the party won the 1976 general election.
After this election, the Labour administration gradually started to show its true colours and its behaviour became more high-handed and macho than anything else. It was either Dom’s way or the highway. The industrial national turmoil which erupted in 1977 was fuelled by a Labour Party which had abandoned the roots of its own existence.
The 1977 Labour government triggered off many issues that caused industrial strife and social unrest.
Mintoff realised that to put into motion his economic plan he had to hijack and neutralise the trade union movement. Unfortunately, in 1977 the then Malta Labour Party and the General Workers’ Union decided that time was ripe for them to join forces.
Manoeuvring within the General Workers Union structures had started earlier and those who opposed the merger within the GWU were sidelined or kicked out. It was only a matter of time that the merger between the Labour Party and the GWU was announced.
On May 22, 1978, the GWU daily newspaper reported in bold letters ‘IŻŻEWWIĠNA’ with reference to the general conference convened on the previous day Sunday, whereby the union and the MLP amended their respective statutes and became one force and one body. This merger was hailed as historic. Today many people can appreciate that the merger was not in the best interests of workers and their dependents.
The GWU was granted two representatives, the president and the general secretary, to attend Cabinet meetings on the proviso that they do not divulge information to the union council members. This also applied to section secretaries.
While, as expected, this agreement was greeted with applause by GWU delegates, only one abstention was reported.
Commenting on this merger, former GWU general secretary Joe Attard Kingswell made it amply clear that, although he believed that a working relationship is necessary for a union and government to ensure economic and social development, there was no need for unions to become instruments in the hands of the Government.
Unions should maintain their independence and any claims they make should be in the interest of the workers and should be expressed freely.
Michael Seychell, former GWU metal section secretary, also had to endure a lot of pressure, particularly from a Labour Party minister who instigated workers against him for taking a stand against the merger. This led to a physical attack on Seychell.
This agreement compelled the GWU to completely abandon the mission statement which was set when the union was founded in October 1943.
Dom may well be remembered for a variety of issues which he mastered during his period in office, but he will also be remembered for usurping the rights of the GWU to act independently of a socialist government. What ensued was a period when the Labour Party in government undermined and whittled away many workers’ rights and conditions.
In the face of this harsh reality, the GWU remained silent and looked on as workers’ rights were trampled upon by their partner. The esteemed gentlemen, the late Alfred Buhagiar, Salvino Spiteri, Maurice Agius as leaders of the CMTU and the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and many workers from different walks of life stood their ground against a Mintoffian government in the interest of the workers and their dependants.
They fought to keep alive the free and independent trade union movement in Malta. The independent trade union movement flourished because of those people who sought to strive for the betterment of the quality of life notwithstanding Dom’s socialist economic and social policy, which brought about deprivation and hardship to many but rewarded the few.