The General Workers’ Union has accused Finance Ministry parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech of lacking ethical professionalism with regard to the recent amendment to the law concerning tax on fringe benefits.

In a statement issued yesterday, GWU said Mr Fenech did not admit that he had also discussed the matter with the union.

Mr Fenech failed to state the way things actually happened, said the GWU, and this showed a lack of ethical professionalism.

The union said its professional, financial and services section had been in contact with the Finance Ministry for a number of months. After the ministry had agreed to meet the GWU twice, it had cancelled both meetings just five minutes before they were due to start, said the union.

However Mr Fenech had forgotten that a meeting had in fact been held between the union and the ministry and this was confirmed in a statement issued by the Department of Information on 18 April, 2006.

The union’s proposal was for the complete removal of the 35 per cent tax to be paid on the difference between the value of shares purchased and the value agreed upon between the bank and the individual.

Mr Fenech failed to pursue discussions with the union in this regard, even though he did listen to their proposals, which were supported by the Malta Union of Bank Employees, among others. The GWU said Mr Fenech’s behaviour was discriminatory against it, while the union with which the ministry had made the agreement was privileged.

The professional, financial and services section insisted that the government should pursue incomplete discussions with the union and said it expected an apology regarding the way the ministry dealt with the situation.