Two days before constituted bodies are to submit their replies to proposals made by the government on the expansion of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, it looks unlikely that Forum Unions Maltin and the Gozo Business Chamber will have an easy ride to become new members.
Only the General Workers’ Union has voiced its support for the inclusion of Forum, but not of the GBA, while other MCESD members, in different ways, have expressed their reservations about adding more organisations to the seven bodies that make up the council, together with the government.
Most MCESD members are expected to oppose the addition of Forum and the GBA in their official reply to the government, which should be submitted by Tuesday. And, with the government insisting that there should be a consensus on any changes proposed to the council’s structure, then the formula being suggested by the government is not expected to be approved anytime soon.
The MCESD has nine seats – the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Enterprise and the General Workers Union each have two seats, while the Malta Employers Association, the GRTU, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin have one seat each.
Following pressure made by Forum over the last months, the government has proposed two options for the expansion of the MCESD. In a letter signed by parliamentary secretary Chris Said last month, it was suggested that Forum and the GBA are added to the council, either by increasing the number of seats from nine to 11, or by the Chamber of Commerce and the GWU giving up one of theirs.
Forum has been claiming what it calls a “right” to form part of the decision-making body since it is made up of 10 unions representing thousands of workers but, apart from the GWU, it has found little support for its claims.
Earlier this year, Forum and the GWU jointly organised demonstrations in Valletta to protest against the utility rates. These activities confirmed the great divide that exists in the trade union sector, with Forum and the GWU on one side, and the CMTU on the other. This division emerged particularly after a proposal for a Trades Union Council by the president of the Malta Union of Teachers, which left the CMTU to join Forum, was shot down.
The differences between the two sides are nowhere near being settled. In comments to this newspaper a few weeks ago, UHM secretary general Gejtu Vella said that the government proposals on the MCESD expansion “short-circuit” the council’s complex balance.
He had said that the government “seems to want to give a voice to those who make most noise”, referring to the repeated public claims made by Forum, and in particular its president John Bencini, for a place for Forum on the MCESD. Other organisations have expressed the wish to be on the MCESD, but the government has ignored their claims.
In his letter, Dr Said had said that there needs to be consensus for the MCESD structure to be changed, but the UHM’s position, as well as that of its parent federation (CMTU), is far from being in agreement with the government’s proposals.
“A few years ago, when the General Workers’ Union was the only MCESD member to not agree on the social pact that was being discussed, the matter was shelved,” Mr Vella had told this newspaper. Likewise, if just one of the MCESD members disagrees with the proposals being made by the government on the inclusion of Forum and the GBC on the MCESD, then matters should remain as they are.
This prompted Mr Bencini to write a letter to this newspaper saying that he could not understand “how an experienced trade unionist entrusted with the leadership of a major trade union can take such a direct stand against the principles of social dialogue and representation”.
Forum were carried away themselves when Dr Said’s letter was made public, and the way a press statement was written could have led one to believe that they had actually been accepted on the MCESD, rather than being just one proposal made by the government.
In their enthusiasm to see Forum join the MCESD, the GWU newspaper l-orizzont interpreted the Forum statement as being an expression of gratitude for Forum’s acceptance on the council, and carried a front page story to this effect, only to have to retract it a day later when the correct interpretation was given.
Officially, other constituted bodies were tight-lipped on their reaction to the government’s proposals.
Contacted this week, Kevin Borg, director general of the Chamber of Commerce, would not comment on questions sent by this newspaper, saying that the chamber will be making its position known in the official reply it will be sending to the government.
Likewise, Joseph Farrugia, MEA director general, said that the matter is so delicate that before he could reply officially, the association council must meet to discuss the issue and come up with a common position. He expressed doubts whether the MEA would be meeting the 7 September deadline. “There are reasons in favour of expansion and reasons against,” was all he said.
But sources told The Malta Independent on Sunday that it would be a surprise if the present MCESD members, with the exception of the GWU, will give the green light for the council’s expansion in the way being proposed by the government.
The GWU did not reply to an e-mail sent by this newspaper last Monday.
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