The next protest action to be taken by unions to fight the increase in the water and electricity tariffs has already been agreed upon between the Ghaqda Unions Maltin and would be announced during this Sunday's demonstration, the general secretary of the General Workers' Union said this afternoon.

Tony Zarb told a meeting for union activists and shop stewards, whom he asked to encourage the workers they represented to take part in the demonstration, that next Sunday would be written in history as the day when the people stood up to defend themselves.

Those taking part in the protest would be telling the government that it did not deserve to enjoy their support. Mr Zarb criticised the Union Haddiema Maghqudin and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions for declaring they were not going to attend.

He criticised the Nationalist Party and its media, as well as other media, who, he said, were government allies, for trying to give the impression that it was only the GWU and the Labour Party who were going to be attending Sunday's demonstration.

Mr Zarb said that together with the GWU there were going to be another 10 unions, the Labour Party, Alternattiva Demokratika, Azzjoni Nazzjonali, Zminijietna, Graffiti, the Campaign for National Independence and Pulse. The people, he said, had to use Sunday's protest to show their hurt, not just with the tariffs, but also with other matters such as cost of living and the exorbitant cost of medicines.

He pointed out that there were 60,000 people at risk of poverty, 8,000 unemployed and 12,000 seeking employment. Mr Zarb announced that several shop owners had approached the union expressing an interest in switching their membership to the GWU.

He said that the GWU had boycotted the last MCESD meeting because everything had been decided before that meeting and the Prime Minister had declared that nothing would change.