The Bill giving personnel in disciplined forces the right to join a trade union was yet another landmark in the country’s history, even if uniformed personnel would still not be able to strike, Home Affairs Minister Emanuel Mallia said.

Speaking in parliament at the introduction of the debate on the Bill, Dr Mallia said this was yet another electoral promise which was being kept by the government and which would ensure members of the armed forces would be happy at their place of work, with protected rights.

Giving these employees the right to choose their union created a better climate to ensure a safer country.

He asked what was the official PN line now, after his counterpart in the Opposition, Jason Azzopardi, had said on a TVM programme last May that he was against members of the disciplined forces choosing which union to belong to.

Dr Azzopardi could have presented this Bill himself during the previous administration but kept dragging his feet. He should now apologise to the uniformed personnel, Dr Mallia said..

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici had told the Opposition in 2011 that the setting up of the union was in its final stages.

“Where were you at that time? Why didn’t you wake up?” Dr Mallia asked Dr Azzopardi.

The PN government had been more concerned with conducting witch-hunts, wasting time and forgetting the citizens. “This was why people wanted change,” he said. Labour was keeping its promises.

Dr Azzopardi did not trust members of disciplined forces. He only sought to grant members of the disciplined forces the right to join an in-house union.

These people deserved respect. They risked their lives on a daily basis and they did not deserve someone limiting their rights.

Turning to the police, Dr Mallia said that the government had inherited a force with some 500 members short and yet Dr Azzopardi asked why certain police stations did not operate.

The process of recruiting police officers was not similar to recruiting people in other jobs. One had to train police officers.

The government stopped the previous training programme because it was symptomatic of the PN government’s slumber. Serious training was subsequently given and 113 new police recruits graduated after having undergone a seven-month programme.

The government also replaced the Special Assignment Group (SAG) with the Rapid Intervention Unit, with 20 cars on patrol ready for any potential incident.