The dispute Broadcasting Authority workers had with their chairman – who has since resigned – on the manner in which she was treating them again brought to the fore the value of solidarity among workers at their place of work. Trade union membership may have declined in economically-advanced countries but experience shows that the value of the workers’ collective strength often becomes invaluable when serious disputes arise.

Governments, including Malta’s, are often prone to think they are well adept at taking care of the workers from the cradle to the grave, at times almost giving the impression there is hardly any need for trade unions. Yet, there are instances where governments tend to think of other interests, including their own, first before taking care of those of the workers or they may also have their priorities jumbled up. A case in point is the way the government is handling the privatisation of part of the health sector. Riding roughshod over doctors, it has gone ahead with the negotiation of an agreement with Vitals Global Healthcare for the running of three State hospitals, leaving their union in the dark over vital matters affecting its members.

The union’s general secretary, Martin Balzan, has gone on record complaining: “The government did not consult us at all on this agreement. We will never accept a privatisation deal akin to a banana republic.” If this is the case, it is most deplorable for the government to treat a trade union in this manner.

But, as in the case of the workers’ dispute at the Broadcasting Authority, it well shows that trade unions still have a role to play in the defence of the workers, even though interest in trade unionism may be declining.

The trade union situation as it stands today has been well summarised in this newspaper only a few days ago by Godfrey Baldacchino, a well-known sociologist. He has found that hardly any of the newcomers to the labour market appear to be joining a trade union, not a good omen for the future of trade unionism.

There was an increase of 2,400 members in the year to June 2016 but these were mainly police officers joining the two organisations that were allowed to be set up as from February 2015.

The Malta Union of Teachers had a rise of 430 members but the two largest unions, the General Workers’ Union and the UĦM – Voice of the Workers Union,  attracted fewer than 100 each.

Considering that there had been a rise of 24,350 workers in full-time employment, the increase in trade union membership, excluding those in the two police organisations, is indeed small.

The public sector is well unionised but small and medium-size enterprises are not. There are other areas where trade unionism has not caught up with the trend in other sectors, such as, for example, financial services and the construction industry, two vital economic lines.

There are various ways how to revamp interest in trade unionism. Developing innovative programmes and packages for the new generation of workers, as the sociologist has suggested, could work. Equally important is for the trade unions to take a greater part in attempts at influencing legislators over matters that are of direct interest to all.