Reference is made to Giov. De Martino’s letter entitled The GWU and MUT (TMID 2 May). It is clear that Mr De Martino has objected to the fact that the GWU supported the MUT in its dispute with the government. May I point out that the FOR.UM of Maltese Trade Unions representing 11 other unions also supported the MUT. Other unions opted not to support the MUT.

Two weeks ago, the MUT issued a press statement in support of UHM in its dispute with the health authorities and will continue to support fellow workers wherever they are. The MUT also recently supported the Union of Cabin Crew when our fellow workers were threatened with disciplinary action just because they obeyed a legitimate directive by their union.

Yes, I agree with Mr De Martino regarding the teachers’ lock-out in the 1980s. I was there too and I stood to be counted like thousands of others. I was transferred to another school just because I also refused to sign that infamous form and declare in writing that I would not obey the MUT’s legitimate directive when Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici was Education Minister. I was also locked out like thousands of others but I fought back together with my fellow council members at the time. This does not mean that the MUT will not continue to protest when teachers’ rights are trampled on. The latest strike by all teaching grades showed that teachers would never permit anyone to take them for a ride. As an ex-teacher, Mr De Martino should be proud of this and not attempt to attack the integrity of MUT officials.

As long as I am president of the Malta Union of Teachers I will continue to defend the interests of my union’s members before any other partisan interests. That is why teaching grades chose to re-elect me as president of the MUT. No wonder that the MUT’s membership has doubled in the last 10 years and now reached almost 8,000 members.

On Thursday, 30 April, 96 per cent of all teaching grades followed the MUT’s industrial action and I can assure you that they will continue to do so in spite of Mr De Martino’s regular letters in various newspapers where he systematically tries to bring the MUT into disrepute.

Yes, Mr De Martino is totally correct, the GWU was not on the MUT’s side at the time. They did not utter one word of support. The MUT still expects an apology from them. I will not comment on Labour’s past. I leave that up to the politicians to react. The MUT is a union and not a political party as, it seems, Mr De Martino wishes it to be.

John Bencini

MUT President