The General Workers Union is organising a national manifestation next week to send out a clear message to the government that it has to revise the utility tariffs or else offer compensation.

In a press conference, union secretary general Tony Zarb yesterday announced that the manifestation will take place on Thursday – a decision taken following a union national council meeting to discuss the budget.

The union is also organising a rally for GWU activists on Tuesday.

Mr Zarb said that several companies informed the union after the budget was announced that they will have to reduce their workforce or reduce their working week.

“The government decided to announce the increase in utility tariffs even though we tried to convince them that these would affect the industry negatively,” he said.

He explained that the budget was a harsh one because it simply added on to the already heavy burden of workers, who were already not managing to make ends meet.

As a result, the GWU called for a national manifestation that will take place on Thursday in Valletta. The union also invited all the other social partners, unions and political parties to participate.

“Our decision to organise a national manifestation shows that we are being proactive – we want the government to either revise the tariffs or else offer compensation,” he said.

When asked by this newspaper why the union is organising another national manifestation after the Labour Party called for another one on Sunday, Mr Zarb said that the union felt that an independent call should have also been made.

However, he added that the union will participate in Sunday’s “manifestation of courage” as Labour Leader Joseph Muscat called it, as the union believes that it is for a just cause.