Two members of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprise – GRTU executive council yesterday resigned “because the executive council was not representative of their views on how policies are defined and executed”.

The members are Reuben Buttigieg and Hubert Agius.

The GRTU said in a statement yesterday that Mark Saliba and Charles Borg are the new council members.

The chamber’s executive council said it respected the wishes of the majority and it respected the views of those in a minority.

The GRTU said that the members of the council, on 18 October, Budget day, had agreed with the statement prepared and then released to the media that evening.

The chamber said it was sad to note that the minority of those who disagreed had to chosen the easiest way out, that of resigning.

In a statement, Mr Buttigieg and Mr Agius said that it is not the first time that action was taken before the GRTU council is informed or is given the opportunity to discuss.

If a discussion is held and an opinion is over-ruled it is not a problem, but one cannot be in a minority if no discussion has taken place.

“We do not want to be responsible for a decision on which we were not consulted,” Mr Buttigieg and Mr Agius said.

“Our aim is (to protect) the interests of the self-employed...we do not feel we should waste more time in a structure that is not sensitive to the needs of certain sections.”