Secretary-general of the General Workers’ Union Tony Zarb hit out at Union Haddiema Maghqudin secretary-general Gejtu Vella yesterday over an opinion piece on the public holidays issue that he wrote in the local media.

Mr Zarb said that Mr Vella had betrayed the workers by taking sides with the government, adding that every time an issue cropped up, the UHM always appeared to toe the government’s line.

Speaking during an extraordinary meeting of the Chemicals, Energy and Printing section of the GWU yesterday evening, Mr Zarb insisted once again that the ILO’s opinion on the issue of public holidays in Malta was a victory for the union and that the government had lost, no matter how hard it tried to state otherwise.

He said that the issue would be discussed again on Friday during an industrial tribunal and challenged the other unions to defend the workers’ interests, saying: “I hope you will not betray the workers, and tell the government that it has to do what the ILO has said.”

The GWU secretary-general said the union had been criticised for being hostile during the negotiations on a social pact. “It is better to be criticised for being hostile and no matter what defend the interests of the workers, than to betray them,” Mr Zarb insisted.

After Friday meeting, he said: “Every worker will see who is the real defender of their interests.”

During yesterday’s meeting, Rebecca Gatt was unanimously chosen to take over from Gejtu Mercieca as secretary of the section. Ms Gatt, 24, is the youngest secretary of the largest section in the GWU. The post became vacant after Mr Mercieca was elected deputy secretary-general of the GWU late last year.