A few days ago in large print on the front page of the Union Press’ daily, Tony Zarb made a statement that he is not a dictator. On another occasion, he stressed that he was elected democratically therefore that is the kind of leader that the members want and he has the mandate to lead in such a way. Tony Zarb also stressed that the whole scenario during the General Congress when Josephine Attard Sultana and Francis Buttigieg were sacked from their posts was a democratic process.

It seems that it is very important for Tony Zarb to convince one and all that the GWU is a very democratic organisation.

I don’t want to go into the merits of the dismissal of Josephine Attard Sultana from Secretary of the Public Service Section but it is a clear reflection of the internal rift that exists within the GWU. It is a pity that the General Administration of the GWU did not hesitate to dismiss one of the female pioneers in trade unionism. Josephine Attard Sultana was capable of sitting round a table to negotiate in the best interest of the workers without ever undermining the management’s problems. She always understood that while obtaining the best for her members, the management has a business to run. Many female employees – and not necessarily those in the public service only – are also in debt to her, who as a woman in a male-dominated environment, sympathised with them and did her best to help them.

And maybe this is what irked the GWU leadership. Especially quoting Tony Zarb himself in an interview with The Times where he declared: “as a trade unionist I believe you have to be militant”. Josephine Attard Sultana was being far from militant in her approach. In spite of this she confirmed that the Public Service Section was the only section that had increased membership substantially. Therefore she must have been doing something right.

On the other hand, in a recent article, Salvu Sammut, president of the GWU, wrote that it is time for pruning and there’s no space for those who do not want to abide by the rules. But it seems that there is space for a particular clique and not for those who honestly want to work in the interest of the workers.

In October of last year, when Manuel Micallef was made to leave, three other people were identified with him as being unwanted in the GWU. One of the three has now been removed but the other two are still there. I’m sure that every working day is an uphill struggle for these two as they are definitely wondering when it is going to happen to them or how, as it’s just a matter of time.

Funnily enough, when one is an employee of a union whose intention is to safeguard the interest of the workers, one doesn’t expect to go through this hell at the workplace. We are normally led to believe that this behaviour is associated with a management referred to by the union as capitalist and which is not interested in the welfare of the employees.

This is the same union that last October during the General Workers’ Union Congress, Alfred Sant referred to it as the “privileged partner” to the Labour government.

This reminds us that this is the same union that used to call workers to go take to the streets and create havoc in support of the MLP. It is the same union that declares it won’t hesitate to do the same again if the need arises.

Such declarations are dangerous and they convey fear among those who are not privileged.

It seems that now the GWU is also choosing to convey privileges even among its own members. Privileges lead to discrimination and thus the GWU’s attitude is impeding it from fulfilling its mission of defending the workers’ rights irrespective of their affiliations; this time among its own.

Times change but as the saying goes, a leopard doesn’t change its spots.

Michelle Mallia

President

Nationalist Party Women’s Movement