The General Workers Union this evening unveiled a monument in Paola Square dedicated to those taken to court following the general strike ordered by the GWU on April 28, 1958, "against the arrogance of the British imperial government”.
GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said the monument honoured the 100 “soldiers of steel” who were arrested and sentenced to prison following clashes between the police and demonstrators.
The strike, he said, was mainly caused by the bad social and working conditions of the working people. Adding to that, the planned closure of Malta Drydocks by the British authorities, which at that time provided the livelihood of more than 13,000 families, further worsened the situation.
The strike, he continued, marked the beginning of Malta’s freedom. The many benefits enjoyed by today’s workers were the fruit of the “heroes who were not afraid of [then police commissioner] de Gray”.
Present at the event were some of the people involved in the riots.