The General Workers' Union yesterday condemned the director general of the Malta Employers' Association for calling a foreign trade-unionist "żibel" (garbage) on a live discussion programme on One TV.

The director general, Joe Farrugia, usually known for his composure, candidly confirmed he had insulted the union leader but corrected: "No not żibel... I said ħmieġ, in English, trash. And I'm proud of it!"

"Of course, I said it," he continued when questioned about the insult. "How can I stand idle when a foreign trade unionist threatens to blockade Malta and put the livelihood of thousands of workers in jeopardy?"

The trade unionist in question is Alex MacFadden, from the Merseyside Trade Union Council, who, during an interview on the programme said his organisation supported the GWU's actions against Malta Freeport and would support it through a blockade.

The GWU made a meal of Mr Farrugia's comment and yesterday issued a statement condemning him.

Only a few months ago he had helped broker a difficult stand-off between the union and the government over the privatisation of Malta Shipyards.

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