The General Workers’ Union hopes the appointment of a new British High Commissioner for Malta will improve relations between the two sides.
In a statement yesterday, the union said it was pleased Louise Stanton was stepping down from her High Commission post.
“The GWU recalls that the past years under Ms Stanton’s headship of the British High Commission have been very difficult for Maltese employees of the British Government and for the GWU due to her anti-union stand.
“Ms Stanton’s behaviour has led to nothing except to worsen the industrial relations with the GWU,” it said.
The GWU had claimed she unfairly sacked workers and discriminated against the union.
In an interview published in The Sunday Times, Ms Stanton said the GWU made “unreasonable demands” she was not in a position to accommodate.
One example was a guaranteed seven per cent pay rise every year when there was a pay freeze.
Ms Stanton eventually withdrew recognition of the GWU, leading to accusations that she was anti-union, but she insisted it was within her rights as the union no longer held a majority among her local staff.