Malta’s unions made history last Friday by joining together for the first time in protest against government. But will it also be the last? Karl Schembri reports

Tony Zarb had reason to appear beaming with delight on Friday evening as he stood with his newfound brothers in arms.
What Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi dismissively brushed aside as the General Workers’ Union’s ‘theatrics’ the week before was unfolding into bitter drama for his government as all unions took the unprecedented step of staging a common front after decades of divisiveness.
Zarb’s counterpart at Union Haddiema Maghqudin was equally ecstatic to announce this “historic event” that united 20 unions together. His relationship with Zarb’s union in the past has been cold at its best, acrimonious at its worst, and always fuelled by discordant political loyalties. Images of the strike actions ordered by GWU at Malta International Airport in 1999, and the ensuing battle on the streets with the police as UHM insisted on its exclusive recognition, faded with last Friday’s light rain.
Gone also was the bad blood reminiscent of 1997, when the UHM and CMTU members rallied the people out in the streets of Valletta while the GWU was awaiting “a report” into the new utility tariffs announced by then prime minister Alfred Sant.
It has been a long way for the two major unions. GWU has since witnessed its eroding power base at its most strategic outposts: Malta Shipyards, Sea Malta and the ports, which effectively means it can no longer paralyse the country on its own. It also lost its financial life-line at Cargo Handling.
Gejtu Vella, on the other hand, has been of late alienated by the Gonzi administration, and is seen clearly vexed by Austin Gatt and his rubbishing of MCESD as “just a talking shop”. Gone is the proximity to the PN as manifested in the run-up to the EU membership campaign, in which “civil society” stood foursquare behind Eddie Fenech Adami’s quest while GWU was on its own clinging to Alfred Sant’s partnership idea, against its own internal reports arguing in favour of membership.
Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino – a long-time observer of Maltese industrial relations and chair in Island Studies at Prince Edward Island University – recalls the historic stumbling blocks that impeded unions from forming a united front.
“Of course it is a historic first, for a public event,” he said about Friday’s demonstration. “As far as I know, the GWU and the UHM in particular have always found it difficult to present a ‘united workers’ front’. This difficulty is almost half a century old: the whole point of having the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU) set up in 1959 was precisely to get a Trades Union Council-like format going in Malta, but the GWU then refused to join, citing issues of representation as the main hurdle. When the CMTU called its first ever, and so far only, national strike in October 1984, the GWU refused to participate. More recently, it was the GWU that has tried to set up a national ‘social pact’, and it was the UHM’s turn not to oblige.”
Prof. Edward Zammit, chairman of the Centre for Labour Studies, says several attempts were made over the years to establish a trade union council, but ultimately partisan politics always ruled.
“One recent attempt has been made about three years ago with the involvement of the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Mr John Monks,” Prof. Zammit said. “It should be noted that both our major unions are members of ETUC and so John Monks is in an influential position to help. It should be noted that all Maltese union leaders recognise the benefits that could come from such an association, and all agree that it should be established. Nevertheless it was always stated that the time had not yet come for its realisation. Some union leaders have argued that such a move would not be acceptable to their members and others have pointed out that before even contemplating such a move, the unions have to desist from denigrating each other. Some have even argued that it is beneficial for particular unions and their members to keep their distance from other unions. Of course, at the root of all this, there is the local political rivalry which also penetrates and divides the trade union movement. Many union activists are also involved in one or another political party.”
Last Friday, the unions managed to put their past behind them, united in their opposition to government’s measures and against its fuzzy idea of social dialogue, even though their “resolution” was far less revolutionary: they just asked to meet the prime minister.
For Prof. Baldacchino, “the momentous nature of this ‘protest’ lies in it being the first historic pan-union public protest in the country’s history. A common challenge has been identified, and the very nature of the matter has been enough to move any divisive issues aside.”
To be fair, Prof. Baldacchino adds, the major unions have enjoyed various instances of less publicised cooperation throughout the years, such as through the joint but informal representation on foreign-owned companies in order to be able to negotiate a collective agreement on behalf of a simple majority of employees.
Prof. Zammit also refers to the unions’ collaboration on boards and committees in Malta and abroad as another example of cooperation, including MCESD and the Employment Relations Board.
“Union officials often find themselves adopting common positions,” he said. “This is also indirectly due to Malta’s EU membership. Simultaneously, the previously hostile relationship among the unions is being replaced by mutual respect.
“Of course, as always, there is need of a catalyst to get things moving. Three years ago it was the widespread demand for a national social pact in order to address the challenge of industrial restructuring and to restore global competitiveness. While these challenges are still there, to them must be added the current global financial crisis and the looming economic recession. Such challenges can only be effectively faced by the social partners working collectively. It is in this context that the unilateral decision by the government to remove the subsidies on utility rates must be viewed. On their part, the unions are not convinced that this is the best way to tackle those issues.”
Prof. Zammit says it is still too early to predict whether this “historic” collaboration will have any the tangible long-term outcome.
“What is clear is that it is making a significant contribution to the ongoing process of the eventual establishment of Malta’s trade union council,” he said.
On the other hand, Prof. Baldacchino is much less optimistic about the establishment of a trade union council.
“The Trades Union Council cannot happen in our bipolar world. There is too much at stake, and there remain major partisan gains to be made from such deep divisions. But instances of targeted cooperation can and do exist. One hopes that such expressions of concerted protest can also develop, with government’s cooperation, into expressions of concerted solution.”

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