The Union Haddiema Maghqudin has requested an urgent meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development following the incident in which its secretary general was asked to surrender his mobile phone before going into a meeting with Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela.

The union is requesting the meeting because, in the letter it wrote to chairman John Bencini, it said the situation was unacceptable and needed to be addressed in the shortest time possible.

Mr Abela’s behaviour showed lack of respect towards the union leader and the social partners in general, the union said.