Tension between the three trade union confederations escalated yesterday when one confederation accused the president of another of blackmail and called for his immediate resignation.

Forum president John Bencini said the position of the president of the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions, William Portelli was untenable because he had blackmailed the Forum, which represents 11 trade unions, as well as the General Workers’ Union, with his vote on the European Trade Union Confederation and the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.

But Mr Portelli vowed to stay on, with the CMTU saying on his behalf there was no acceptable reason for anybody to “target or tarnish” his reputation.

Describing Mr Bencini’s statement as “hostile”, the confederation said such statements “sent a clear message to local and European organisations that the prevailing trade union climate is not healthy”.

Trouble between the three confederations began some weeks back in Brussels when Mr Portelli opposed the affiliation of Forum with the ETUC.

Acting on the request of the ETUC itself, which complained about the bad relations between the CMTU and the GWU as affiliates from Malta, the CMTU last week launched a bid for unity among unions, for them to respect each other and to refrain from attacking each other in public.

Launching its plan of action on Friday, Mr Portelli said his organisation was “leading by example” in its attempt to bring unions closer by, among others, introducing “ethical trade unionism” and avoiding “further fragmentation”.

But the proposed document was not acceptable to the GWU, which was asked to sign it, with general secretary Tony Zarb saying earlier this week it would only engage in discussions on cooperation between unions if the CMTU recognised Forum as a new confederation. He said the GWU would not take part in talks called by a confederation, which, he said, wanted unions to unite “for convenience”.

At an ETUC meeting on April 28, Mr Portelli must declare his organisation had no problem with Forum joining, a proposal made by ETUC general secretary John Monks, Mr Zarb said. “Cooperation between trade unions has to be real not one of convenience,” he insisted.

However, the CMTU said it “will oppose further division among trade unions by giving recognition to a third confederation representing a small percentage of unionised workers in Malta”.

The CMTU said Mr Bencini’s statement was “not ethically acceptable, both at local and European level” and that it “will only serve to convince that it is untimely to admit another splinter group given the present state of affairs”.

Forum said Mr Portelli’s “tactics” and “inexplicable behaviour” was “a complete disgrace to trade unionism” and made the CMTU “the laughing stock of trade unionism in Malta”.

“This island has never witnessed such an inconsistent and contradictory trade union leader whose actions are causing tension, hostility and enmity among unions in Malta,” Forum said.

“William Portelli even had the cheek to strongly oppose and vote against Forum’s application to become a member of the Institute for Labour Studies at the University,” it said.