The 12 unions in the Ghaqda Unions Maltin have expressed their concern at the recent recognition dispute between the General Workers' Union and the Malta Dockers' Union saying this did not augur well to industrial democracy in Malta.

The unions said that in issues of trade union recognition, there should be a transparent process with which the unions should be satisfied and which should not instill doubts on who really enjoyed majority support.

The Ghaqda also expressed its concern that in issues of industrial dispute the weapon of freezing union's assets was being used. This had also been the case in 1997, when another union had taken action against the Freeport. Such behaviour completely undermined the union's work and such action was a polite form of abolishing free trade unionism, the organisation said.

But the most worrying factor was the suspension of workers who obeyed a union's directive. This meant that workers were being punished for being union members.

In developed countries, responsibility for directives given fell on the trade union administration and not on workers. This was a principle element of industrial democracy which the country had the duty to observe.

The Ghaqda Unions Malting appealed for serious consultation and an agreement with unions to ensure industrial democracy which put workers' minds at rest.