Bringing trade unions together under one umbrella was a historic move boosting unity among the Maltese, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said yesterday.

“Today is a historic day for our country that should help strengthen unity among the Maltese and Gozitans,” Ms Coleiro Preca said at the Palace, in Valletta, just before 22 trade unions signed the terms of reference of the Forum Nazzjonali tat-Trade Unions.

Trade unions within the forum, set up by the University’s Centre for Labour Studies and the Office of the President, will share experiences and seek collaboration through dialogue.

There were issues that were of common interest, like the fight against poverty and social exclusion, unemployment, precarious work, training and health and safety at work, the President said.

Trade unions within the forum will share experiences and seek collaboration through dialogue

The forum will be holding seminars, launch a campaign on health and safety at the workplace and commission scientific research to gauge public opinion on trade unions.

Ms Coleiro Preca said that nearly half the Maltese workforce was unionised, which was a very high figure. The latest report by the Registrar of Trade Unions shows there were 91,576 union members last year.

There are 31 registered trade unions in Malta with members in about 300 establishments, including those within the manufacturing and services industries.

Manwel Debono, director at the Centre for Labour Studies, said that the higher the membership, the stronger a union was. Unions, he added, would be stronger if they spoke in one voice.

The challenge that trade unions faced nowadays was to remain relevant and not focus on just their members’ issues and collective agreements.

They had to be proactive and keep themselves updated about what was going overseas to anticipate challenges, including diversity within the workforce, lifelong learning and the need of a balance between family life and work, Dr Debono said.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions supported the forum, saying the move was in line with its plan of action on trade union collaboration.

While insisting on a gradual approach to achieving unity, it called for a code of ethics that included clear enforcement measures.