The General Workers’ Union said yesterday that Enemalta Corporation has jeopardised the possibility of reaching an agreement with the union.

In a statement issued late last night, the union said that earlier in the afternoon it had been informed that a group of foreigners were seen going round vehicles and equipment in the Aviation Section.

This led to rising tension among the workers who work in a place deemed “dangerous”, since they drive large vehicles full of aviation fuel.

The union said it contacted Chief Executive Officer John Rizzo to inquire what the foreigners were doing there. However, the union said that the CEO replied that he had no reason to talk to union officials about the matter.

The union also claimed that Mr Rizzo said he could not assure union officials that this group of foreigners would not be carrying out work that is usually carried out by Civil Aviation officials.

Following this exchange, the union called on Mr Rizzo to contact Enemalta’s Chairman Ing. Alex Tranter to set up an urgent meeting on the issue. However, this was not possible.

The union said that last week it had called for the intervention of the Director of Industrial Relations and Employment Noel Vella since Mr Rizzo was seeking to implement various changes that had not been agreed upon. During this meeting, the CEO had also claimed he had the authority to close this section, the union claimed. The union said it seems the government’s agenda on privatisation is to accommodate the particular buyer and not to ensure the workers’ basic rights, such as that they do not work under pressure in such a dangerous environment.

It seems that the ministry responsible for this company is willing to jeopardise the possibility of reaching an agreement with the union to the detriment of the workers involved, the union said.