In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with a reflection he did not realise was his own. In modern day, anyone in love with himself is often described as Narcissus, and the term narcissism is used to highlight situations where people tend to be vain and conceited, and act in a selfish way or try to attract attention.

Unions often fall into this trap. There are times when they are justified in causing ripples in the industrial sector, but then there are many times when they resort to action that is uncalled for. It’s as if they want to create trouble just for the sake of it, to justify their existence, and perhaps the membership fees they ask their members to pay. Like Narcissus, they are in love with themselves, and like to see their faces on the television and the newspapers.

We all remember the drama that ensued following the announcement of the new water and electricity tariffs late last year. We had 20 unions mounting a campaign that climaxed in a mass demonstration in Valletta, only for the unions to break up soon afterwards as some chose to come to terms with the government, while others did not. The latter are still telling people not to pay up their dues for energy until the rates are revised.

We also remember how union leaders fought against each other in what can be described as a clash of personalities that ended up with a schism and the formation of another federation of unions. What had been seen as a chance to form a Trades Union Council finished in a battle between union leaders. Just look at the way the General Workers Union and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin treat each other to get the gist.

Recently, the unions were in the news for different reasons. We had the clash between the GWU and the Malta Dockers’ Union over recognition of port workers, with the GWU resorting to directives at Malta Freeport, which have since been withdrawn following the intervention of a minister. There were also threats to blockade the ports unless the matter was rectified. Things seem to have calmed down, but the issue is still to be fully resolved.

Last week, a dispute between Air Malta and the Union of Cabin Crew over flight time limitations came to the fore when cabin crew refused to operate a flight from Moscow to Malta just because a delay would have meant exceeding these limitations by three minutes. Three minutes, not three hours. This resulted in a one-day delay that cost the airline e109,000.

Also on Friday, the Malta Union of Teachers called for a one-day strike this coming Thursday – incidentally the eve of a public holiday, for a convenient four-day break from school at a time when students are gearing up for their final examinations – in view of a dispute with the Education Ministry over teachers’ working conditions as well as the delay in the signing of a new collective agreement with teachers working in Church schools.

In normal times, such disputes often cause disruptions that affect the economy and the day-to-day running of a particular sector, if not of the whole population. But these are not normal times, and as the country struggles to survive the difficult moments that the prevailing global financial state of affairs has brought about, the last thing we need is industrial action that exacerbates the situation.

The blockading of ports, adding unnecessary costs to a company for a mere three minutes and making exaggerated demands is not the right way to go about doing things at a time when we need to stick together to weather the storm.

Defending workers’ rights is one thing, going overboard is another. Unions should remember what happened to Narcissus.