For many years, there was talk of the formation of a trade union council, embracing all the movements that represent workers under one umbrella in a bid to strengthen their struggle for the protection and improvement of workers’ rights. For one reason or another, this never materialised.
The decision reached by the major unions on Tuesday to hold one manifestation in Valletta in protest against the increase in the energy rates has also been described as possibly being a first step – yet another one, considering the previous attempts – towards the formation of such a council.
The General Workers Union spearheaded the idea by declaring its intentions to hold a public protest in Valletta. This was scheduled to be held today, but after the strong support that the GWU received from other entities, including other unions, the idea of joining forces began to form.
It resulted in the calling off of the GWU demonstration, and instead the holding of one major event with the participation of all the trade unions and other organisations that want to show their disdain at the “lack of seriousness” – to quote MUBE president William Portelli – in the way the energy rates were revised.
GWU secretary general Tony Zarb has said that the protest intends to pass on a message to the government that the unions and their members are united in protest against the burden which the government wants to put on the people through the increase in the water and electricity bills.
The manifestation that will be held in Valletta tomorrow will however go beyond a simple show of unprecedented unity among the unions on this particular issue, especially if matters escalate into further action.
The new water and electricity rates have brought the unions closer like never before in their attempts to safeguard the interests of their members. Their one voice will be a strong voice, and although it is hard to imagine that the government will in the short term budge from the position it has taken, it will nonetheless signify a concerted effort on the part of the unions to show that they are not prepared to take things lying down.
The government would be wrong in taking the unions’ unity on this particular matter lightly. Very often, the division that existed between the unions in the past was an advantage to the government – independently of which party was in power. Now that the unions have come together it could pave the way for a different scenario in the government-unions relationship.
The fact that the holding of a general strike in protest has not been ruled out is already an indication that the unions mean business. Whether the unions will ultimately resort to taking such action – which would have its own detrimental effects in the stability of the country as well as on its economy – remains to be seen.
The euphoria that has surrounded the unions in this particular achievement and on this particular issue should however not blind them into thinking that they have resolved all their differences and that everything between them will be smooth from now onwards. Experience tells us that there have been several occasions in the past when the unions were close, very close, but then something happened and took them apart once again. Right now, they have bridged the gap because they are fighting a common battle, and a difficult one at that, and often great difficulties bring people of opposing views on the same side.
It is when this battle is over and the dust has settled that we will see whether the present show of unity will persevere in the future.