The leaders of the two major unions in Malta sent important messages to the government on Worker’s Day, albeit in a different way.
Both Tony Zarb, secretary-general of the General Workers’ Union, and Gejtu Vella, his counterpart at the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, highlighted the plight of various categories of workers, calling upon the authorities to rectify the situation.
Mr Zarb and Mr Vella chose to concentrate on different sectors of the working population.
Mr Zarb, for example, spoke about the construction industry and the protection of workers who are not covered by the law because they are being employed illegally, urging the workers in this industry to join a union which would defend their rights and improve their conditions of work.
On the other hand, Mr Vella dwelt on the union’s disappointment that, although the transfer from St Luke’s Hospital to Mater Dei was imminent, the union still had no idea as to what was being expected of the staff who will be working at Tal-Qroqq. The union is also in the dark regarding the port reform and what will happen to monti (open air market) hawkers.
Both were correct to point out such situations, as unions have a duty to protect the interests of workers, particularly of their members, and if they are unhappy with certain prevailing situations, they do well to push for an improvement.
Most of all, they are right to speak about instances in which workers are left wondering what new situations hold in store for them. Uncertainty about one’s future is not a pleasant thing, and the authorities should take note of the situations mentioned by Mr Zarb and Mr Vella and work to iron out any problems.
While it is expected that both union leaders deal with problems in the working world in their speeches on the day that workers are celebrated, it is also expected of them to speak about the workers’ duties too – a subject that was, however, not tackled last Tuesday, and is hardly ever mentioned by union leaders, for that matter.
Unions exist to protect workers and improve their conditions, but at the same time they should also see that the members they represent carry out the jobs they are employed to do with diligence and responsibility. As pointed out by this newspaper in its editorial on 1 May, working conditions are important, but equally important is the workers’ contribution at their place of work.
Worker’s Day was perhaps the right occasion for Mr Zarb and Mr Vella to speak about such matters. They did not. Perhaps they should make it a point to express their views on this subject next time around.
On a more positive note, Mr Vella’s statement that workers should not be afraid of change must be given the importance it deserves at a time when the Maltese economy is undergoing an upheaval.
With major projects like SmartCity coming up, and with a diversification of the local economy towards areas such as financial services, pharmaceutical companies and call centres, there is a need for a better realisation that Maltese workers must be ready to accept new employment opportunities.
For them to be able to do so, Maltese workers need to be prepared to undertake re-training programmes to learn new skills.
As Mr Vella said: “We must ensure that we do all we can to give (investors) a return on their investment, because nowadays it’s easy for companies to pack up and leave the country”.
This is the challenge that Maltese workers are facing today. And the unions can play a big role in encouraging local workers that they are capable of overcoming the hurdles that this change will present.