Updated - The Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) said this evening that  it could not hold a meeting specifically about ministers asking union representatives to keep their mobile phones outside the room, since this was not an issue of sustainable economic development.

The request for a meeting was made by the UHM after its representative was asked not to take his phone with him for a meeting with Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela.

The union, while requesting the meeting, complained that dialogue within the council was focused primarily on what was a priority to the Office of the Prime Minister and to the several ministers. 

This was so much the case that all requests by ministers or the OPM were immediately accepted while the validity and importance of requests by the other partners had to be considered before they were discussed.

Worse still, the union said, it was now informed through MCESD correspondence that there had to be consensus among the partners in the case of meeting requests by members.

The UHM's letter to the MCESD can be read in the pdf link below.

In reply, the MCESD secretary in a statement said that since March 2013, a record of more than 60 MCESD meetings had been held,  at least, half of which were requested by different MCESD partners

The request by UHM to hold an ad hoc meeting on the incident which involved the UHM and the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security was discussed at an MCESD meeting on March 2,  2015. The social partners expressed concern that such an incident had taken place, but sincethis was an isolated incident, most partners were of the view that an ad hoc meeting to further discuss the matter was inopportune.

The MCESD administration had also been given legal advice that  discussions at MCESD level should be "on issues relating to the sustainable economic and social development in Malta."

"The UHM’s request on the use of mobiles during official meetings with ministers has absolutely nothing to do with what is supposed to be discussed at MCESD level according to Article 3 of the MCESD law," the MCESD said.

Notwithstanding,  MCESD Chairman John Bencini has written to minister  Carmelo Abela today, voicing the social partners' concern.  (See letter on pdf below)