GWU general secretary Tony Zarb told a union section meeting that the situation in occupational health was difficult, with a considerable number of fatal accidents occurring at workplaces.

But instead of seeing what to do about this, the government had cut its vote for the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, he said.

Mr Zarb was addressing the biennial conference of the Chemical, Energy and Printing Section.

He said the OHSA had just seven inspectors who had to see to all of Malta and Gozo.

The GWU was insisting that for the number of occupational fatalities to fall, especially at construction sites, the authority should be given more resources. The fact that construction workers were not unionised worked against them, he said.

Mr Zarb also accused the government of deceiving workers. Workers at various workplaces, he said, were today finding it difficult to maintain the conditions of work which they had enjoyed for decades.

Before the general elections of four years ago, the promise was of better conditions of work, not of a fight to maintain existing conditions, he said. Even in government companies workers were having to give up certain conditions.

The union leader referred to the Enemalta workforce and said that the employees of the petrol and gas division, which was being privatised, had a right to know what was going to happen to them.

Employees had a right to remain with Enemalta, he said, but the company was not saying what kind of work they would be doing if they stayed on.

But the government, by its example, was encouraging private companies to reduce working conditions. The union, Mr Zarb said, could no longer accept the arrogance of the government and of Minister Austin Gatt.