The Confederation of Malta Trade Unions has suspended the Malta Union of Teachers with immediate effect as the dispute between them escalated further yesterday.
MUT officials who represented the confederation at a number of European and international forums will be replaced in the coming days, the CMTU said in a statement.
The dispute started when the MUT proposed the formation of a Trade Union Council just days after all trade unions joined forces to protest against the proposed water and electricity tariffs.
The MUT's proposal was described by CMTU president William Portelli as "untimely". Although the teachers' union took exception to this comment, Mr Portelli would not retract it.
The rift continued to widen when the CMTU and the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, one of the confederation's affiliates, publicly declared that they approved of the latest electricity rates while the MUT expressed reservations and declared it had no confidence in the CMTU's leadership.
Last Monday the confederation threatened to suspend the MUT's membership unless it changed its attitude towards the CMTU and its leaders.
During a meeting yesterday morning the CMTU unanimously voted to suspend the teachers' union and agreed that no union affiliated within the confederation should participate in the MUT's conference on the Trade Union Council.
"The officials of unions affiliated within the CMTU cannot trust MUT president John Bencini's appeal for unity among the unions when he and his union continued with their attacks against the confederation and its members."
However, the confederation said it would remain open and keep a sincere dialogue with all local unions in the best interest of its affiliates. The CMTU affiliates also expressed confidence in the confederation's president and leadership.
When contacted yesterday, MUT president John Bencini said the union was hoping that common sense would prevail and the confederation would abide by procedures established in its status to call an urgent meeting and attempt to bridge the differences.
He said yesterday's decision was taken without the MUT being given the chance to defend itself, and questioned its validity, especially since the confederation leadership should have been up for election almost two years ago.
Mr Bencini said the union still had reservations about the revised water and electricity bills. "I am not going to betray my members to agree with someone else," he said.