The General Workers' Union said it was still waiting for the Nationalist Party to declare where it stood on the unionisation of uniformed corps.

In a statement, the union said the Labour Party had already said it was in favour of union membership for policemen, soldiers, civil protection officers and prison warders.

If both parties agreed, the next step would be to propose amendments to the law, the GWU said.

The Union Ħaddiema Maghqudin, the second largest union, welcomed the fact that the PL was in favour of the proposal, saying it had been insisting on it since 2002, when the Industrial Relations and Employment Act was being amended.

It said that although it would mean a change in local culture, the time had come for these workers to also have the right to join a union for their work to be given more recognition and for their rights to be safeguarded.