For years, the General Workers’ Union has been regarded as the largest union in Malta. The union claims to have been there for workers and their families in times of hardship throughout its 63 years of history.

But the past few weeks will surely not go down in the union’s history books as landmarks or achievements. It might be placed in a chapter entitled “Crisis”.

In the past few weeks, the internal structures of the GWU began to crumble and now the union’s leadership is picking up bits and pieces of what remains. But credibility is difficult to restore.

People in Malta – and probably international observers, including the European Trade Union Council (which the GWU is so proud of) – have witnessed the disintegration of three of its sections. Although the union is giving the impression that this was just a clash of personalities which made it impossible for these union officials to work with the GWU administration, it seems more than that.

Is the militant attitude of the people at the helm of the GWU backfiring? Is their attitude not going down well with people who have been working in the union for several years? How come all this happened all of a sudden and in such a short span of time? Is the union’s administration trying to get rid of all the people whom they believe would not fit in their definition of militancy?

It all started with the dismissal of Josephine Attard Sultana and Francis Buttigieg, the secretary and president respectively of the Public Sector section. Although a warrant of prohibitory injunction filed by Ms Attard Sultana and Mr Buttigieg was upheld and the warrant issued, the GWU’s administration still called a National Council meeting and Ms Attard Sultana and Mr Buttigieg were expelled from the union.

Another development which continued to rub salt onto the GWU’s wounds was the resignation of the port workers’ foremen. These decided to quit the GWU and instead joined the Union Haddiema Maghqudin.

This was followed by the resignation of Emanuel Zammit, the secretary of the GWU’s Maritime and Aviation section along with all his committee.

Mr Zammit seems to have had a bad time at the GWU in recent months. So much so that he issued a statement saying that the “GWU administration made my life a misery”.

Last week, the GWU suffered yet another blow to its internal structures and its reputation with yet another resignation, that of Karmenu Vella, the secretary of the Services and Media section as well as nine out of 10 of his committee and 16 delegates.

And now, at least 312 port workers who are members of the GWU are expected to hand in their resignation to join their new union, the Malta Dockers’ Union, which was set up yesterday. This union promises to be a breath of fresh air for port workers, especially in view of the discussions currently under way for a reform in the Maltese ports.

The avalanche of resignations and statements on the GWU’s leadership is surely something which should worry secretary general Tony Zarb and his right hand man, Gejtu Mercieca. It should worry them so much that they should step down or seek a vote of confidence in an extraordinary meeting.

Yesterday, the union issued a declaration which was signed by eight section secretaries saying they were prepared to continue working with the union’s leadership. As if this is enough. It would decrease possibilities of further resignations, but more need to be done to save this sinking ship.

We believe that the union’s administration should go down to its grassroots and seek a vote of confidence in the way they are acting and the militant stance they have taken. This is the course of action which the GWU needs, in its best interests and also that of trade unionism in Malta.

And the GWU must act fast. The UHM, one would dare say, is gaining ground on the GWU at a very fast pace. Certainly, the internal problems within the GWU are pleasing to the UHM, to which more and more workers are turning as a more credible union.