The Freeport said this afternoon that it is holding the GWU responsible for damages running into hundreds of thousands of euro caused by industrial action it has ordered.
The action is over verification of which trade union represents the majority of workers. The GWU has ordered a go-slow and work to rule, accusing the management of dragging its feet over the issue.
The freeport said it has written to the GWU saying that the workers should be represented by the trade union which enjoys the support of the majority, as decided in a transparent manner.
It said that it was only in the past few days that the GWU requested a verification of union membership, when another union was recognised and had signed a collective agreement.
The company acted promptly to the GWU request and had proposed an objective verification exercise. It was the GWU which turned down a process led by the Director of Employment Relations.
The company then proposed an independent person to lead the process and a meeting is set for Monday.
Industrial action ordered by the GWU against the company, when it had acted on the GWU request,was therefore premature, unnecessary and excessive.
The company insisted that industrial action should never have been ordered once a dispute with it did not exist. It said the GWU should show good will and at least await the outcome of Monday's meeting. The GWU should follow established procedures and reconsider its position.
It should also call off all industrial action which could affect operations and seek a compromise so that the verification of union membership could take place.
The company warned it may have no alternative but to hold the union responsible for damages caused by its actions, which would amount to hundreds of thousands of euro, if not more, since the freeport was operating at full capacity.
EMPLOYERS CONCERNED
Earlier the Malta Employers’ Association protested over the industrial action over union recognition.
This, it said, was yet another incident where employers were being caught in the crossfire of turf wars between trade unions – in this case between the GWU and UHM. Companies were being made to suffer the consequences even when no dispute existed between them and the unions.
The current industrial action, it said, came at a very bad time as the freeport had recently announced increased business with two major shipping lines – Ocean Three and the 2M Alliance. These actions are disrupting operations at the terminal during the initial and critical phase of the relationship between these companies and Malta Freeport.
"The MEA has long been calling for an effective mechanism and changes in legislation for a transparent and fast resolution to recognition disputes. The escalating rivalry between unions is threatening the country’s economic stability," the association said.
It appealed for common sense and urged the government to ensure that there is the necessary regulatory and legal infrastructure to safeguard employers and the economy from such actions which could bring the country to a standstill.
UHM HOLDS MEETING FOR WORKERS
Meanwhile, Josef Vella, UHM secretary, in a meeting for Freeport workers, urged them to safeguard their right to choose their trade union. He said the union had defended the workers, and they should vote for the union in the recognition issue.
The called on the workers to be united and said the UHM would always be by their side.