The current split within the port workers who are members of the General Workers Union and the union’s administration on the issue of the cargo handling contract threatened to widen yesterday as the workers unanimously approved a strongly worded resolution which among others deplored the actions of the GWU administration in not letting the meeting take place at the Workers Memorial Building.

In the resolution, the workers maintained their complete trust in their representatives, which are the Workers Committee, the secretary of the GWU’s Maritime Section Manwel Zammit and Dr George Abela as their legal consultant. They also gave their consent for negotiations on port reform to be conducted by these representatives.

The port workers denied that the committee had proposed that the meeting (which was held at the Parish Hall of St Sebastian in Qormi) should not be held at the Workers Memorial Building. They said that they were constrained to find another venue as the union administration refused to give an answer whether it would let Dr Abela address the meeting.

The workers said that Dr Abela was appointed as their legal consultant after the absolute majority of port workers presented a petition to the GWU general secretary on 22 February. They said that the choice of Dr Abela was based on his professional integrity, legal experience and industrial relations experience especially in connection with port work.

The port workers deplored the GWU administration’s decision to refuse permission for the meeting to be held at the Workers Memorial Building and also condemned a letter sent by the secretary general which the workers said attempted to undermine the credibility of their democratically elected representatives.

The workers said that other GWU members are currently using Dr Abela’s services such as Air Malta workers who attended several meetings at the GWU headquarters together with Dr Abela, who was also greeted cordially by the Secretary General in his office on these occasions. They said that they could not understand the union administration’s actions and called for an immediate change of position in this regard.

Concluding, the port workers said that the union administration was putting at risk the ongoing negotiations on port reform and was threatening the livelihood of the workers and their families. They reserved the right to call a general meeting to reconsider their position within the GWU.