Josef Bugeja has been elected deputy general secretary of the General Workers’ Union.

The vote was held during an extraordinary general conference yesterday.

Mr Bugeja, who previously served as the secretary of the union’s government and public entities’ section, prevailed in a tightly-contested election with another section secretary, Cory Greenland.

Mr Bugeja won with 237 votes to Dr Greenland’s 228.

He succeeds Michael Parnis who retired from trade unionism after 35 years.

Speaking to Times of Malta following the result, Mr Bugeja said his priority was to train GWU shop stewards so the union would continue growing and defending workers’ rights.

General secretary Tony Zarb told a press conference that, since the result was so close, the union administration had to give due weight to the 49 per cent of delegates who had voted for Dr Greenland.

His priority was to train GWU shop stewards

Although he had lost the race, Dr Greenland said he was still satisfied with the result and would continue working in the union’s best interest.

The union will now start a process to find a new section secretary to succeed Mr Bugeja and to find a designate general secretary as Mr Zarb has already announced he would retire from trade unionism next year.