The General Workers’ Union’s central administration said that while it noted the resolution passed by port workers on 1 May, it was surprised by the fact that the said resolution did not mention that the government wants to dismantle the working conditions of port workers.

The administration said that it was not surprised that port workers were forced to approve this resolution after a systematic series of attacks against the GWU and its administration from the Nationalist Party media. It said that as it has stated several times, it is ready to give all the necessary help to port workers as it has always done, but through the union’s structures.

The Workers Committee and all port workers should not forget that the administration was democratically elected in the last National Congress to lead the organisation and so no member can expect not to abide by the rules and issue threats, the administration said.

The administration added that it did not create this situation but it was the Workers Committee that wrote letters which were eventually used in the media against the GWU. It said that while it is making it clear that nobody will create anarchy within the GWU, it will continue taking those decisions according to the mandate handed to it from the National Council.

Finally, the administration appealed to all port workers to reflect on the fact that the government is dismantling their working conditions, which conditions were obtained by the strength of the union with the GWU. It also appealed to port workers not to let anyone deviate them from their path.

Meanwhile, in a counter-statement issued yesterday evening, the Committee of Licensed Port Workers said that the General Workers Union has “conveniently ignored the content of the resolution passed unanimously by the port workers”.

The committee said that instead of accepting the justified requests made by the workers, it is clear that the union wants to “keep on sticking its head in the sand”.

The committee added that since the union had not issued a reply regarding the 11 points approved by the port workers in their resolution, it has concluded that the central administration of the union has confirmed the resolution.