The administrations of the General Workers' Union and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin this afternoon agreed on the need to work closer together in the best interest of workers.

The new UHM administration were meeting GWU officials at the latter's headquarters in Valletta.

GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said good relations between unions did not mean that any of the unions would lose their sovereignty. Both unions, which were the two largest in Malta, shared common ground on a number of subjects including precarious work, occupational health and safety and continuous learning and development.

He mentioned the possibility of organising joint seminars on these subjects.

UHM secretary general Josef Vella said this would not be the first and last meeting between the two unions.

He said there had already been collaboration between both unions in the past on particular cases and workplace situations, away from the attention of the media .

He presented Mr Zarb with the union's document on the social aspect of 2015 vision and invited GWU for both unions to work together to present a common front in the ongoing discussions on a new collective agreement for the civil service.