Forum, a trade union confederation, could join the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development by the end of the month as the government and the opposition yesterday agreed on a fast-track approach.
The law regulating the MCESD has to be changed to allow Forum full membership, eight years after it was set up.
Earlier this week, the government said it would immediately present a motion for the first reading to change the law when Parliament reconvenes on April 23 after the Easter recess.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday reiterated the government’s commitment for Forum to join the MCESD, insisting this should happen “as soon as possible”.
Dr Gonzi was addressing the confederation’s triennial conference that reconfirmed Forum president John Bencini and the other top officials.
Speaking just before the Prime Minister, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said the opposition was ready to reach an agreement so that Forum’s membership of the MCESD would breeze through all stages of Parliament, “in a week”.
Dr Muscat said he was glad the government had changed its position on the matter after voting against altering the MCESD’s composition last year.
Dr Gonzi said that following Dr Muscat’s statement it seemed that fast track membership in the council was possible. Mr Bencini jokingly said he hoped this would feature in the Guinness Book of Records and the law would be changed in the shortest time possible.
“I was going to ask the Prime Minister for a time frame but this no longer seems necessary,” Mr Bencini added.
Dr Gonzi thanked all unions for their cooperation over the past years when economic difficulties arose. They acted with maturity to save jobs, he said.
He noted that the government was a model employer for family-friendly policies and urged the private sector to follow suit.
Dr Muscat highlighted the need for more women to join the labour market. He said it was a necessity for economic growth and to solve the pension problem.
Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio said the minimum wage had to increase so that more people would be encouraged to come out of the shadow economy.
He proposed the introduction of a secret ballot among union members before industrial action was ordered to make the system more democratic.
The conference was also addressed by William Portelli, president of another trade union confederation, the CMTU, and the General Workers’ Union’s general secretary, Tony Zarb.