Two weeks ago, during the General Workers’ Union congress, opposition leader Alfred Sant passed on a loud and clear message: that the GWU would be a “privileged partner” to the Labour government. Dr Sant confirmed that the GWU has always been a staunch ally of the Labour Party.

Such a declaration is a dangerous one and it conveyed fear among those who are not “privileged” by the Labour Party. Such comments are a reminder of the unhappy times when a “marriage” contract existed between the MLP and the GWU.

It brought back memories of the years between 1971 and 1987, when the Labour Party was in government.

The MLP-GWU “marriage” contract did not allow the GWU to negotiate freely and independently. At the time, its decisions, taken together with the MLP, caused havoc in the labour market. Privileges lead to discrimination and thus the GWU’s unity with the MLP impedes the union from fulfilling its mission, that of defending the rights of workers irrespective of their affiliations.

However, discrimination is not a new issue to the GWU. In the 1970s and 1980s it was the GWU that decided who was allowed to work overtime at the Drydocks and, in fact, the Drydocks Council was found guilty by the Law Courts of committing trade union discrimination.

Towards the end of last year, the Cargo Handling Company, a subsidiary company of the GWU, was found guilty of discrimination in the distribution of overtime. On this occasion, the GWU was discriminating as an employer.

Three female employees were not being allowed to work overtime simply because they were women. These three women took the GWU to court. The GWU was found guilty of discriminating between male and female employees and was ordered by the court to pay Lm24,000 to these three female employees.

The GWU has a negative track record where overtime is concerned. In view of its record of discrimination, women employees may find that they are not among the privileged ones in the GWU.

Just when people were beginning to believe that the “marriage” contract between the GWU and the MLP had been well and truly dissolved, we get this feeling of dêjà vue and the impression that the dissolution of “marriage” was only a charade.

Just when it was believed that the GWU is open to change, Dr Sant made these statements.

Statements that lead to many questions as to how the MLP, if elected to government, will operate in view of other trade unions. It seems that in the eyes of the Malta Labour Party and GWU, not all workers have the same rights, because these rights depend on the workers’ affiliations.

Some are born more equal than others.

Michelle Mallia is president of the Nationalist Party Women’s Movement