The majority of social partners have expressed reservations about the appointment of former teachers’ union president John Bencini as chairman of the economic consultative council.
Six of the eight members on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development are not happy with Mr Bencini’s appointment.
Only the General Workers’ Union and the Forum grouping of trade unions – of which Mr Bencini was president until a few months ago – have reacted favourably.
Insisting that they had nothing against Mr Bencini on a personal level, some categorically stated he was unfit for the job while others said they did not have a good working relationship with him, so this was the first hurdle that needed to be surmounted.
Mr Bencini’s official appointment came after days of specul-ation about the successor of former chairman Sonny Portelli, whose resignation following the change in government was accepted.
Mr Bencini was forced to resign from his role as Forum president after passing “partisan” comments on Labour’s energy plan. Within a few weeks he was on stage at a Labour mass meeting explaining why he had left the Nationalist Party and had switched to Labour.
Vince Farrugia, the director general of the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU), yesterday said Mr Bencini was not “the ideal candidate”.
Similarly, Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry president Stefano Mallia said the chamber was “disappointed” because Mr Bencini’s appointment was “going to create problems”, especially in view of tiffs he had had with some social partners in the past.
He said the chamber had proposed former Central Bank governor Michael Bonello, former Labour MP Gavin Gulia and financial analyst John Cassar White for the post, but none of these had been accepted by the Government.
“We had hoped the new MCESD, with a new Administration in place, was going to get off on the right foot. I was hoping for a more positive start by having a chairman who had never sat on the council and who would come up with fresh ideas,” he said when contacted.
Tony Zahra, the president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, hinted that they too were unhappy with the appointment. He said the ideal MCESD chairman would have an economic background, experience in the private sector and would have operated at a high level.
“These are the job specifications. The person has to fit the job. You cannot fit the job into the person. Whoever is chosen has to have these attributes,” he said.
Joe Farrugia, the director general of the Malta Employers Association, said they too had reservations on the choice while Confederation of Malta Trade Unions president William Portelli also expressed the association’s disappointment.
Mr Portelli said the person in the job had to have a certain degree of economic knowledge. He was also let down because the Government had given them no choice by only nominating Mr Bencini.
Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin general secretary Josef Vella said the union never had a good working relationship with Mr Bencini, having had “negative experiences”.
“He always says the UĦM hurt him and has already expressed his reservations on our Jobs Plus plan, so we have to see how this is going to pan out,” he said.
GWU general secretary Tony Zarb and Forum President Paul Pace were the only two who expressed satisfaction at the choice of trade unionist for chairman. Mr Zarb said Mr Bencini would be able to unite social partners.
Mr Bencini could not be reached for comment.