George Abela, one of the five candidates vying for the top Labour leadership post, yesterday assured Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin that under his leadership, the Labour Party would not grant preferential treatment to any of the unions.

In a clear reference to the infamous "marriage" between the General Workers' Union (GWU) and the Malta Labour Party, Dr Abela said that if elected leader, he would work closely with the UĦM in the workers' and country's best interest.

While competition between trade unions would remain, unions should form a common front on certain issues, he said.

Among others he mentioned health and safety and the impact of the rise in the cost of living on take-home pay. He also touched on performance-related pay which, he held, is affecting workers both psychologically and physically.

"Trade unionism saw the birth of the Labour Party and trade unions should be the party's conscience. Unions should collaborate and form a common front on issues that affect workers," he said.

He mentioned the setting up of a trade union council saying that although it had been brought up for discussion for several years, "institutionalised difficulties" have hindered the process.

Dr Abela lamented the lack of a social pact adding that if the first attempt at agreeing to such a pact had failed, unions should at least informally see what they have in common and turn competition between them into collaboration.

UĦM general secretary Gejtu Vella said that while he agreed that unions should find a "common denominator" in the workers' and the country's best interest, there should be a clear declaration that trade unionism and politics are separate sectors.

The UĦM has grown over the years because it had been independent of the political parties.

"The GWU needs to take the courageous step and declare its independence from political parties and not use their daily and weekly newspapers - l-orizzont and It-Torċa - to attack us," he said.