The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin has officially requested sole recognition of bus drivers formerly employed with Arriva.

It said the request was made after the absolute majority of bus drivers who are now employed with the Malta Public Transport Services Limited, a subsidiary of Transport Malta, switched unions.

However, the General Workers' Union is insisting that it still enjoys support of the majority of bus drivers.

In a statement, the UĦM said the workers had long been complaining of various shortcomings in their working conditions as a result of negotiations conducted on their behalf by another union.

Following this development, the union wrote to MPT chief executive Konrad Pule' requesting recognition and for negotiations or discussions with another union to be halted pending this verification exercise. The letter was also sent to the director of employment and industrial relations.

“We are very satisfied that these workers managed to resist all types on pressure they were under and switched unions because they know that it is only the UĦM which will really protect their interests,” union section secretary Martin Caruana said in the statement.

He added that the union was not excluding asking for recognition for other workers of the company.