The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin is no longer against Forum Unions Maltin joining the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development but is calling for a radical review of how the council operates.
Fresh blood at the helm of the second largest union brought with it a change in its stand to the one previously adopted by the old regime headed by former general secretary Gejtu Vella and president Gejtu Tanti.
But new general secretary Josef Vella refutes claims of a U-turn. “This is not a U-turn. We just see things differently. I am not the MCESD’s gatekeeper and will never be. I do not oppose anyone’s membership as long as we establish the criteria not only for Forum but for any organisation wanting to join,” he said.
“A technical issue is becoming an increasingly emotional one,” he lamented.
Forum, a confederation of 11 unions representing a total of 12,000 workers, including the Malta Union of Teachers and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, has been complaining of being muzzled when it was left out of the consultative council.
It had requested membership on the MCESD about six years ago.
The government has always insisted that it has no objection to giving Forum a place but holds that changes to the MCESD’s composition must take place by consensus among the social partners.
To this end, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said had written to each member of the consultative body asking them for their position on the matter.
Six of the seven MCESD members replied they were against a change in the composition of the council. The only body that agreed to Forum’s request was the General Workers’ Union. Those that objected insisted that there should be consensus among the social partners if there were to be a change in the way the MCESD operated. Addressing Parliament last month, Dr Said reported that progress had been registered in consultations between the government and the social partners on the participation by Forum.
The UĦM was one of the organisations that was against Forum joining but its new general secretary now says the discussion should move to changing the way the council operated.
Mr Vella complained that an MCESD working group set up between 18 months and two years ago to study and recommend changes to the way the council operated did not really function.
“The working group should not discuss whether Forum should join or not but set the criteria on which to base any future request for any organisation to join the consultative body,” he said.
He questioned whether his organisation should continue to have just one seat if Forum was allowed to join and is given a seat. “Should we look at establishing a ratio between members and seats,” he asked.
The UĦM and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions, of which it forms part, both have one seat on the council. The GWU has two.