The Forum Unions Maltin has been accepted as a temporary member with an observer status in the European Trade Union Confederation. During the next six months, the ETUC will be monitoring the situation before giving the final nod for Forum to become a full member, with voting powers, in the confederation.

Forum, and its allies the General Workers’ Union, with whom they form what is known as the Għaqda Unions Maltin, have welcomed the news while the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions has been more cautious about the outcome, preferring to wait until October. While the indications are that Forum will eventually be accepted as a full member, the final decision is still to be taken.

By removing its previous reservations to Forum’s membership in the ETUC, the CMTU has shown its goodwill in trying to start a new chapter in relationships between unions in Malta. But this does not mean that relations between the unions, and in particular relations between the leaders of the unions, have improved.

Over the years, and in particular in recent weeks, we have had several occasions in which trade union leaders have accused each other, and court cases have also been instituted in this regard. These court cases are, in themselves, obstacles towards healthier relations.

We are sure that all trade union leaders work in the best interests of their members, but this evident lack of cooperation between the two sides of the trade union sector is not beneficial to the workers they represent.

As Manuel Micallef, a former GWU deputy general secretary, told The Malta Independent on Sunday recently, the worse off in these circumstances are the employees. This lack of unity in the trade union sector makes it even harder for the unions to challenge the government and the employers, the other two players in the field.

It is even more evident that any idea of forming a Trades Union Council, at this stage, is impossible.

Forum’s membership in the ETUC – partial at this stage – will no doubt spur it on in its bid to form part of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development which is, on the whole, the main goal that Forum has been striving to achieve ever since it was set up.

Here, matters are more complicated because the consensus on their membership, needed by the present MCESD members, has not been achieved.

It has been said and written that the MCESD needs to be restructured and given more powers than the “talking shop” it has been described to be. But it is clear that this reform is nowhere near. The efforts that were started last year seem to have found too many obstacles in the way.