The Malta Union of Teachers today invited trade unions to work together for union unity that would be permanent, independently of who was in government.

The MUT said the decision taken yesterday to expel it from the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions strengthened its resolve to see trade unions work in a more professional manner.

The union said the CMTU decision was taken in the absence of its representatives, who were not invited, in breach of the CMTU statute.

It also questioned the legitimacy of the CMTU council, saying a congress to elect the officers had not been called for nearly two years. Elections, it said, had been due in February 2007.

“The confederation which in the 1970s was the shield of the free trade unions against the government, has today ended up in disorder, confusion and without a sense of direction,” the MUT said.

The MUT said it had several priorities ahead, including the future of education, an addendum to the collective agreement signed last year, a collective agreement for church school students and the agreement for University and Junior College academic staff.