General Workers Union secretary general Tony Zarb yesterday said that unless the government recognises the union as the representative of nursing aides, care workers, assistant care workers and health assistants by Monday, the union is calling upon these employees to leave their workplace and protest in Valletta streets.

Addressing a rally yesterday, Mr Zarb asked what is keeping the government from reaching a deal with the union. “Once the government reached an agreement with other sectors it should not be a problem to reach an accord with the GWU,” Mr Zarb said.

Only those workers who are currently involved in the migration process from St Luke’s Hospital to Mater Dei Hospital are excluded from Monday’s protest, Mr Zarb said. “But even the migration plan could be hit by industrial action if the government persists in its stubbornness.”

The GWU will not permit the government to undermine industrial democracy, and the union will take all the necessary steps to defend the interests of the workers.

The GWU had the right to represente and negotiate on behalf of the workers, and it is the government’s duty to negotiate with the union because it represented the majority of the workers.

Once the government is procrastinating, the union has no other option but to resort to industrial action. The workers were told to leave their workplace at 10am and meet in Valletta.