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Kurt Sansone
Just when it seemed that the restructuring exercise initiated by government at Air Malta was heading towards a gridlock, the four unions represented at the airline came out with their trump card in the likes of former Labour Party deputy leader George Abela.
Abela’s appointment as the facilitator of the four unions led to the breakthrough on Friday when the unions presented their counter proposals and government responded with a goodwill gesture by going ahead with the re-capitalisation of Lm30 million and announcing cuts in fringe benefits for managerial staff. Everything indicates that an agreement on restructuring is now possible as the tense atmosphere has been diffused.
Investments Minister Austin Gatt went on record yesterday saying that the unions’ proposals were positive and provided good groundwork for a negotiated agreement.
But not everyone may be happy with the high profile role George Abela played in the Air Malta dispute. His emergence was disconcerting news for the top people in the General Workers’ Union and the Labour Party as much as it was for government.
The four unions represented at Air Malta had their position weakened when investments ministry officials and the airline’s management discussed the cost cutting strategy separately with the unions.
The rationale behind the strategy was that the different sections had specific work conditions that had to be addressed separately.
All four unions knew what cost cutting measures were being proposed for all sections, but the separate talks created an air of mistrust between the different unions.
Abela’s appointment by the unions as their facilitator gave rise to a common front that created a major spoke in government’s initial strategy. The move, which caught investments ministry officials by surprise, turned out to be a wise one.
Abela’s intervention was requested by GWU section secretary Manuel Zammit, a move, which is believed to have irked Secretary General Tony Zarb.
Relations between Zarb and Abela have remained cool ever since Abela resigned as the GWU’s legal advisor in 2000 when the union wanted to impose certain conditions on its lawyers.
Abela’s role in the Air Malta dispute has put the charismatic lawyer back in the limelight. And that has also raised the alarm at the MLP headquarters where the more militant wing preferred fanning the fire at the national airline rather than coming up with a reasonable alternative to the restructuring proposals presented by Government. Abela’s sensible intervention in the Air Malta dispute has delighted moderates in the party because they feel he has swept the carpet from under Alfred Sant’s feet.
It still has to be seen whether this would lead to an eventual return of Abela within the MLP’s fold, but people close to the lawyer say he is still interested in taking over the leadership of the Labour Party, should the opportunity arise.
Despite the outward sympathy Nationalist Party functionaries express for Abela, they dread his return, remote as it may seem, to the Labour Party. Abela’s pro-EU stand, moderate outlook and charismatic leadership could be very appealing to middle-of-the-road voters and in PN circles it is feared that with him at the helm the MLP would cruise to victory at the next national elections.
The half-hearted attempt by Prime Minister Gonzi to float Abela’s name as a possible candidate for President of the Republic was widely viewed as an opportunity to bury the possibility of Abela ever returning to politics.
The name George Abela is still cause for concern for many people it seems, and with the 12 June election in the offing yet more surprises may be in store.
kurt@newsworksltd.com
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