The howling wind, rain and sleet did not keep union and employers’ representatives from attending a meeting at Castille yesterday during which the Prime Minister presented counter proposals in a last ditch attempt to reach a social pact.

The event did not take long, with the unions and employers merely saying that it was a cordial meeting and that the government had presented counter proposals, although no one had actually read them yet.

First out of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s office were the unified front unions, with Union Haddiema Maghqudin secretary general Gejtu Vella acting as a spokesman. Mr Vella said: “Well, it was a good and quick meeting. Dr Gonzi gave us his proposals in document form and we will come out with our reaction tomorrow (Thursday).” All other unions had representatives present.

Next out of the OPM were the employers, with Chamber of Commerce president Louis Apap Bologna speaking out on their behalf. “We have not seen the counter proposals yet. We are going to read through them and we are going to try and see both sides of the coin,” he said. Asked whether all parties had come any closer to reaching agreement, Mr Apap Bologna said: “Well, before we said we were near and yet so far and now we are saying that we hope we are nearer rather than further away.”

Dr Gonzi also addressed the media afterwards: “In today’s meeting I presented the government’s counter proposals on reaching a social pact in view of the recent meetings I had with the trade unions.”

He continued: “I have explained the situation to them and they are to get back to me with their reaction tomorrow (Thursday). I hope that we all reach agreement on all the proposals we put forward for the good of the country as a whole.”

Dr Gonzi said there was common ground and there was also space to find agreement. “We want an agreement that will benefit the whole country,” said Dr Gonzi.

Before yesterday’s meeting, some unions said they were disillusioned about comments that were apparently made, but later denied, by GWU general secretary Tony Zarb. Mr Zarb was quoted as having urged people to support the MLP’s national protest in Floriana on Sunday during a programme on Super One TV.

Nationalist Party internet news website www.maltarightnow.com quoted Mr Zarb as having urged people to attend Sunday’s protest. He was also quoted as saying that an agreement at the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development was very difficult to reach.

Speaking to The Malta Independent several unions expressed their disappointment at the situation while at the same time questioning whether Mr Zarb had really said that. They said that following the meeting the unions had on Tuesday morning, they told Mr Zarb not to attend the television programme on Super One that evening. He reportedly told them that there was nothing wrong with appearing on the programme. They said they were worried because they are trying to form a common front of independent and united unions.

Later on, while speaking at a GWU event, Mr Zarb denied that by appearing on Super One TV he had undermined the consultation process at MCESD. He said that what was reported on the website was not true. Mr Zarb said the website’s story was nothing but the PN media scaremongering campaign “because they know that the government cannot take on all the unions together as one unified front”.