Veteran trade unionist and author of socio-industrial books Karmenu Ellul Galea (photo) died yesterday, aged 92.

He was the last survivor of a group of men who met secretly in the cellar of St Joseph Band Club, in Hamrun, in the early days of October 1943 to set up the General Workers’ Union.

Ellul Galea was born on 10 November 1914 in Kalkara and spent his childhood in Zabbar. As a dockyard apprentice in his youth, he showed interest in the trade union sphere and wrote articles in Il Cotra in favour of the Maltese language and the plight of the workers. In May 1943 he addressed workers in one of the monster meetings for recruits of the GWU.

He founded and organized the Benefit Scheme of the GWU. In the journalistic field he served on the Union Press Board and on the editorial board of Il-Hajja. He was also editor of the humorous paper Il-Farfett in the 1960s. In the 1970s he was the industrial correspondent of Il-Berqa and Il-Hajja. He was a delegate in the National Assembly of 1945.

Mr Ellul Galea gave his share also in cultural clubs like the Ghaqda Muzikali San Mikiel, of which he was president for several years. He was also co-founder and honorary president of the Malta Band Clubs Association.

His works were published in several literary magazines and newspapers, amongst others Il-Pronostku Malti and il-Malti. He published a book of poems titled Twemmini. Other publications include It-Trejdunjonizmu f’Malta (four volumes), L-Istorja tat-Tarzna and Pijunieri tas-Sigurta’ Socjali.

In 1999 Ellul Galea was appointed member of the National Order of Merit and in the same year he won the Literary Price for Research.

His funeral will be held tomorrow at 8.30am in the Christ the King Parish Church, Paola.