Reform and restructuring are the latest buzzwords. Just like companies need restructuring, other entities also need to undergo this process. William Portelli, the new president of the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions, tells Matthew Xuereb how the restructuring process within the CMTU is expected to make it a better umbrella organisation for all trade unions and possibly attract those unions which do not yet form part of it.

The restructuring exercise and the reorganisation of the Confederation of Maltese Trade Unions aims to make it more effective and, at the end of day, improve the relationship between its present affiliates and possibly be in a position to attract more members.

In view of these changes, there is a good possibility that the Forum, composed of eight trade unions and associations, will join the CMTU once the new format is in place. Contacts have already been made between the CMTU and the Forum on this matter.

New CMTU president, William Portelli who is also the president of the Malta Union of Bank Employees, said this reform was the way forward for the CMTU. He said the relationship between its affiliates, a lack of coordination and failure to agree on how policy should be implemented are the main problems.

He said that as soon as he took over the presidency of the confederation from Malta Unions of Teachers president John Bencini, he appointed a CMTU Reform Commission which has to look into ways of making the CMTU more effective and based on what the affiliated member unions want from the CMTU.

Mr Portelli said the Reform Commission has already prepared the first draft with the opinions of the affiliated member unions and its recommendations. Union Haddiema Maghqudin president, Gejtu Tanti chaired the commission. Other members included Arthur Rossi, the current vice-president of the CMTU, Carmelo Busuttil, who is a member of the Malta Union of Teachers, Kevin Bonello from the CMTU Youths and current CMTU secretary general Tony Micallef Debono.

He said the report has already been distributed to the confederation’s members and the CMTU council for feedback. The commission aims to draw up the final report by mid-June.

When pressed to say what the fundamental problem had been, Mr Portelli said this was the confederation’s modus operandi, adding that other issues had to be settled before the confederation could start looking to the future with optimism.

“All the unions which are members of the CMTU must look at it as a true confederation with the national interests – what counts most – as its main concern. The confederation should look unified. The CMTU believes in true social dialogue and this is its basic principle,” he said.

The CMTU is still a relevant organisation, Mr Portelli believes, and once the CMTU’s new structure is in place, he will start working to gather all unions under the CMTU banner so that “it will truly be an umbrella organisation of all the trade unions in Malta”.

“We have a choice. This is why I said we are at crossroads. We either manage change or else change will manage us. Personally, I would opt for the first option,” he said.

On the setting up of a Trade Union Council, Mr Portelli said a TUC was very important for workers and for the country because while trade unions are now more than committed to considering the country’s business needs, they would work together to protect workers’ interests without jeopardising job security.

In a recent interview with this newspaper, Rudolph Cini, the spokesman for Forum, said the CMTU could never be a TUC because it does not represent all Maltese trade unions and workers’ representatives. But Mr Portelli disagreed with this statement, saying it could be a TUC but this has to happen with the help of the Forum. “What we need in order to have a TUC is a united movement of trade unions working well together,” he said.

He added that the main aim of the reforms within the CMTU is not to become a TUC, but to improve the working relationship and to be in a better position to attract unions which do not form part of the confederation.

“We aim to become the main coordinators of the trade union movement in Malta and hopefully, after this reform, the confederation will have a better impact on trade unionism in Malta.”

Mr Portelli said the Forum will consider joining the CMTU once the new format is in place. With regard to the General Workers’ Union, he said the GWU has not yet been approached because of its statement that it doesn’t see itself part of the CMTU.

Replying to a question on whether the CMTU is trying to isolate the GWU by having all trade unions except the GWU forming part of the CMTU, Mr Portelli said this was absolutely not the case.

“It is not our agenda. I have spoken to (GWU secretary general) Tony Zarb and he said he will meet the CMTU in due course. I would assume he is waiting for the reforms to be completed too before committing himself. I admit that the vision of the CMTU and the GWU may not be similar but it all boils down to politics. We cannot have a general union changing its view on certain issues just because the Malta Labour Party changed its view. We want a very independent union council and not a politicised trade union movement,” Mr Portelli said.

“We all know about the power of politics in Malta but it’s all about getting your priorities right. Workers’ and the country’s interests come first. Politics come later,” he added.

He said the CMTU was not against lobbying with political parties, adding that there should be “unconditional discussions with no strings attached” between trade unions and political parties.

With regard to the CMTU’s image, Mr Portelli said he believes that the confederation does have a good image. There is a perception that the CMTU and its beliefs sway in favour of the Nationalist Party. He said this perception was condemning the confederation.

“Any union within the CMTU is free to discuss anything in line with their sectorial beliefs and their own principles and policies. However, the CMTU’s agenda is in the country’s best interest. The CMTU has to strike a balance between the needs of workers and the country’s requirements.”

On the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, Mr Portelli agreed that the MCESD needed to change. “Working practices need to change. The approach by unions and government towards the MCESD also needs to change.”

In an interview with this newspaper a few months ago, Investment and IT Minister Austin Gatt said the MCESD was a “talking shop” and “another parliament”. Mr Portelli agreed that “sometimes, depending on the issue being discussed” the MCESD was a talking shop.

He said unions and employers and constituted bodies sitting on the council needed more time to analyse documents and prepare for the MCESD meetings. Mr Portelli also mentioned the problem of MCESD documents being leaked to the media. When asked whether he believed that MCESD members were conditioned by the media, he said he did not think this was the case but stressed that confidentiality was important.

“The MCESD needs new regulations on the media and their involvement in and reporting of MCESD affairs. If the media is informed only of decisions taken, there will be more social dialogue and the discussion wouldn’t have been conditioned. Yes, maybe the MCESD should only meet behind closed doors when discussions reach a certain level to avoid similar problems. Otherwise, maybe it would be a good idea to let the media follow the discussions as they do in parliament,” he said.

Asked whether voting should be introduced at the MCESD, Mr Portelli said seeking consensus should be the main priority. He said that if no consensus is reached, then the public should be informed about who was in favour and who was against the issue being discussed. Name and shame? No, it’s not a matter of naming and shaming but the country has to move on and people have the right to know.