Tony Zarb, who has just stepped down as general secretary of the General Workers’ Union after 17 years in the post, will for long be associated with the catchphrase Issa daqshekk (enough is enough) he used in a protest against budgetary measures introduced by the Nationalist government in 2000. Widely held as being far too militant, he may have considered the protest as one of the milestones in his career but, had it not been for his catchphrase, the event would have long been forgotten.
A changing of the guard at the largest trade union in the country is a significant development. However, what will be more significant and important is the direction his successor will give to the organisation.
As was the case with most of his predecessors, Mr Zarb was seen as a tool in the hands of the Labour movement.It is true that trade unions are generally inclined to support Labour parties but the problem arises when they become pawns in the hands of the politicians, as the GWU had been for most of the years it has been in existence. The greatest irony of all is that the founder of the union, Reggie Miller, had been against direct involvement in politics.
Will the new general secretary, Joseph Bugeja, take the union into a new era?
Mr Zarb said in a recent newspaper interview that the GWU became apolitical. He was reported saying: “The ties between the GWU and the Labour Party were there but that time has gone and it hasn’t come back.”
Few, if any, would tend to take Mr Zarb’s statement at face value as many would quite reasonably argue that Labour will simply not allow it to drift away from its grip, as history has shown well enough. The union is too important a tool for Labour to let it go its own way. Critics would remark that had the union been apolitical, it would have demanded a drop in the price of petrol and diesel following the sharp fall in the price of crude oil on the international market.
Having said that, the new man ought to be given a fighting chance to prove himself. The real test for the GWU to prove it has become independent will come when there is a change of government, for it is highly unlikely that it will dare ruffle the feathers of the Labour Party in government.
Mr Zarb leaves a very different situation to that he found when he took over. The dockyard, one of its major membership bases and hotbed of industrial disputes, has long gone. So has Sea Malta.
By far, the GWU’s worst move was when it followed Labour in going against membership of the European Union. Then, like Labour, it accepted membership once the majority voted in favour.
Though much of its work was overshadowed by unnecessary militancy and outright partisanship, its campaign against precarious work was admirable. Challenges ahead include coming to an agreement with the rest of the trade unions in finding the best way of solving recognition disputes and giving life to the trades union forum set up some months ago.
There is need to move on over these matters to end much of the unnecessary infighting and bickering that takes place between rival trade unions.
New times call for new approaches based on tried and tested methods of solving differences.