Former General Workers’ Union (GWU) deputy general secretary Emmanuel Micallef has been engaged as Go Mobile’s Human Resources manager, The Malta Independent on Sunday has learnt.

A spokesperson for go mobile confirmed that Mr Micallef was appointed HR manager as from 5 April.

The company said it had a “strong response” to its call for applications for this post.

“Mr Micallef was selected following an initial shortlisting of candidates and further interviews in a process managed directly by the company’s senior management team,” the spokesperson for go mobile said.

Six months earlier, Mr Micallef had ended up without a job after unsuccessfully contesting Tony Zarb for the GWU’s top post on a moderate ticket.

During the GWU’s national congress on 4 October last year, union delegates overwhelmingly re-elected Mr Zarb, who obtained 468 out of 584 valid votes. Mr Micallef obtained 116.

Mr Micallef had also failed in his bid for the post of deputy secretary-general (education and international affairs), with incumbent Michael Parnis polling 432 votes as against Mr Micallef’s 125.

In a no-holds-barred interview published in The Times six days later, Mr Micallef made a strong indictment against the GWU and its current leadership.

He said he had contested the post of GWU secretary-general because the union was stagnant and needed a change in direction.

Mr Micallef said he had been the victim of a smear campaign that included defamatory leaflets.