The GWU this afternoon said reactions by employers' associations to some of its election proposals to the political parties was hypocritical.

The union noted that the Malta Employers' Association and the Chamber of Commerce had criticised its suggestion that the government in awarding contracts should give preference to those companies whose workers were covered by a collective agreement. 

The hypocrisy lay in the fact that the two employers' associations knew how many of their members openly complained about unfair competition from bidding companies whose workers were not covered by a collective agreement and were exploited, the union said. 

In objecting to this proposal, the associations seemed to be abusing of the right of freedom of association in order to encourage employers not to have their workers unionised.  

The GWU said it was also hypocritical of the Chamber of Commerce to object to the union's call for the government to employ workers who worked long term in government departments while they were engaged by contractors. Such workers, the union said, were exploited by the contractors and their employment was considered precarious.

The employers' associations needed to fight precarious work in deed and not just with words, the union said.