Tony Zarb was re-elected secretary-general of the General Workers’ Union yesterday after winning 80 per cent of the votes.
Manwel Micallef, who was contesting the post, obtained 116 votes compared to Mr Zarb’s 468.
Current president Salvu Sammut and vice-president Helen Mallia were both re-confirmed in their posts.
Gejtu Mercieca took Mr Micallef’s position while Michael Parnis retained his post as deputy secretary-general responsible for education and international
relations.
This means that after so many years of administration of the GWU, Mr Micallef is now out of office.
The elections were held yesterday during the union’s national congress held at the partly-finished Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort and Spa.
The congress, which takes place every four years, was chaired by Joe Sapiano.
When electoral commission chairman Aaron Mifsud Bonnici read out the election results for the post of secretary-general, the most important and influential role within the union, Mr Zarb’s challenger Manuel Micallef was not even inside the conference hall.
He then turned up just before lunch, ahead of the second election which he was contesting, that of deputy secretary-general (education and international relations).
For all the elections, 620 delegates were eligible to vote. In the election for president, 588 votes were cast and 584 votes cast were valid. Raymond Arpa got 159 votes while Salvu Sammut got 425 votes.
For the election of vice president, 588 votes were collected and 585 votes cast were valid. Godfrey Borg got 185 votes while Helen Mallia got 480 votes.
In the election for secretary-
general, 588 votes were collected and 584 of the votes cast were valid. Tony Zarb got 468 votes against the 116 votes attained by Manuel Micallef.
In the election for the post of deputy secretary-general (administration) – the post previously occupied by Manuel Micallef – Josephine Attard Sultana received 151 votes, Roberto Cristiano got 171 votes and Gejtu Mercieca got 262. Since none of the three candidates obtained 50 per cent plus one of the votes, Ms Attard Sultana was eliminated and another election between the remaining two contestants was held. Mr Mercieca won the election with 307 votes against 247 votes for Mr Cristiano.
In the election for the second deputy secretary-general (administrative affairs), Michael Parnis beat Manuel Micallef by 437 votes to 125.
Some time before the congress began, flyers were distributed to delegates and affixed to car windscreens. One flyer accused Mr Micallef of splitting the union into two and stated that since he was not capable of retaining his post as deputy secretary-general, he was not suitable to be elected to the union’s top post.
Another flyer doing the rounds showed a photograph of the union’s last rally. Section secretaries Josephine Attard Sultana, Karmenu Vella and Manwel Zammit were highlighted in the picture and the message beneath read “there is no place for them within the GWU”.
Following the announcement of the results, Mr Micallef thanked his supporters. He also thanked those who did not vote for him and forgave those who worked against him and tried to tarnish his reputation.
He promised to continue working in the best interests of the Maltese workers but he did not say if he would still work in the GWU.
In a closing speech, Mr Zarb referred to comments made in the run-up to the election which said the union was at a crossroads and that the choice between him and Mr Micallef would depend on who was militant or moderate.
“The GWU will remain militant but this does not mean that we will not be prepared to sit around the discussion table. Being militant means that we will defend workers’ rights till the very end,” he said.
Mr Zarb strongly criticised those people within the union who were working against the union’s interests and feeding information to outsiders.
“There is no place for these people in our union,” he said several times.
He spoke about the resolution which was unanimously approved by the delegates and he said that no one could undermine the resolution on the future of the union.
He said everyone should cooperate and promised that he would call a meeting for delegates to decide the way forward and how to deal with those who were caught working against the union’s interests.
He said the message to the government was loud and clear: “The GWU will actively work so that the country’s burdens will be distributed equally and not be carried by workers alone.”
Mr Zarb urged workers to join the GWU – the largest trade union in Malta.
“There are black clouds coming your way. You need the GWU or else you will suffer much more,” he said. Mr Zarb became emotional when he thanked those who supported him in the past and in recent days, especially his wife and son.
The congress opened with a somewhat controversial speech by union president Salvu Sammut who spoke about the problem of irregular immigration.
He said irregular immigrants were being employed instead of Maltese workers because they were being paid much less than a Maltese worker would expect.
He said the Maltese population was well-known for its hospitality. He complained that irregular immigrants were served before the Maltese simply because they were irregular immigrants... something the Maltese did not particularly like.
He also mentioned foreign prostitutes who were earning more in one night than what a Maltese worker earned in a week.
Mr Sammut said the government could not be blamed for the problem of irregular immigration, and that the government had other issues to address.
Half way through Mr Sammut’s speech, Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo walked out of the hall. In a statement, Dr Vassallo said he walked out because he could not accept such a racist speech.
He said: “It was impossible to remain, and appear to approve of in the slightest manner, any report that may be made of a speech inflaming racial tension in the country.”
He added AD could not accept the president of the country’s largest trade union telling 700 delegates that immigrants were taking Maltese workers’ jobs and exposing the Maltese to unknown diseases.
“It is with deep regret that I was obliged to abandon the GWU conference which I attended with pleasure and positive anticipation of witnessing important developments in the trade union sector. Alternattiva Demokratika has no choice but to pursue the matter before every forum having an influence on the matter in Malta and abroad,” he said.
In another part of his speech, Mr Sammut spoke about the congress which this year had the theme Fuq Quddiem il-Haddiem (The worker first and foremost).
He said the union was committed to continue assisting its members at work and ensuring that the workers’ standard of living and that of their families will continue to improve.
Politicians’ messages
Acting Prime Minister Tonio Borg and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant also spoke at the congress.
Dr Borg spoke at length on the achievements of Maltese workers in recent years, with special emphasis on the legislative changes implemented to safeguard workers and their rights.
He mentioned the Industrial and Employment Relations Act and other legislative changes which were introduced following Malta’s European Union membership and with which workers’ rights had been significantly upgraded.
In this respect, he mentioned the non-discrimination of part-time workers, better working conditions and other regulations on giving adequate information to workers.
Dr Borg said there were regulations that protected workers in the eventuality of collective redundancies, the transfer of enterprises and regulations in the eventuality of bankruptcy.
He said the government was also working to strike a balance between work and family responsibilities. This was why it introduced regulations on leave, special leave for family reasons and leave for parents.
“These have been significant achievements for Maltese workers,” he said.
Dr Borg said the government also paid particular attention to education which was important for workers. He mentioned the government’s investment in the field of education and the Lm9 million in financial assistance given to students to further their studies.
The acting Prime Minister also spoke on the various collective agreements which regulate working conditions and how the
success of trade unions was not measured by the time it took to order industrial action but how much it was prepared to sit around the negotiating table to seek an agreement.
On his part, Labour Leader Alfred Sant spoke about the changes the country was facing and insisted that the burdens and the benefits brought about by these changes had to be distributed equally and fairly.
He promised delegates that in the coming months, the Malta Labour Party would be showing the way forward. He said that once this was done, the party’s credibility, which it had gained over the years, will improve. In the past, he said, the party always told the truth, even though this was difficult at times.
Once the MLP returned to office, Dr Sant said, the party would be implementing changes to address the problems the country was facing.
Following the implementation of these changes, he said, the party will assist and encourage those sectors which, in the past, had proved to be important for the country’s economy and which provided employment for the Maltese workers.
He mentioned tourism, the manufacturing industry, agriculture and fisheries, the drydocks, small and medium sized enterprises and the financial services sector.
“Wherever employment is at stake, we will be there to give the much-needed breath of fresh air, he said.
He said the party was extending its invitation to whoever could contribute and be part of this “change”.
The primary invitation is open to the GWU “which has always been a privileged partner of the left-wing movement”.
Dr Sant also spoke about subsidies for the agricultural sector. He criticised the government for not opting to implement the safeguard clause at a time when the farmers and those working in the sector had their backs against the wall.
Turning to privatisation, Dr Sant said some companies were being privatised when there was no need. Sea Malta, Dr Sant said, was strategically important for Malta and should not be privatised.
He also mentioned the Malta International Airport, Maltapost and Mid-Med Bank.
Dr Sant said that after the government had abolished the subsidies, it had gone on to invest Lm6 million in the bankrupt port of Brindisi and was now covering up this financial hole by selling Pender Place and Mercury House, both prime properties in St Julian’s, for Lm8 million. This is not a responsible way to do things, he said.
Resolution
Delegates yesterday unanimously approved the National Council’s resolution on the way forward for the union.
This states that the GWU will continue to safeguard the rights and interests of Maltese workers, especially with regard to decisions which have to be taken on several issues including social benefits, health and pension systems and the country’s financial situation.
It also states, among other things, that workers, pensioners and their families should not be alone in carrying the burden.