It was late on Friday evening that the impasse between the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and Gozo Channel Company was resolved.

The agreement arrived after nearly two full days of industrial action – a go slow directive – which was ordered by the UĦM on the eve of what is considered to be the busiest weekend for the company, as thousands of Maltese cross over to the sister island for Carnival celebrations.

Gozo Tourism Association CEO Joe Muscat said that the Carnival weekend has overcome the Santa Marija week in terms of people choosing to have a short holiday in Gozo. That it comes after a long lull stretching from the previous summer is also highly indicative of the importance of Carnival weekend for the Gozo economy.

The UĦM chose this weekend specifically to attract the biggest attention it could get for its claims. The dispute with Gozo Channel Company had been going on for months, but the UĦM waited for the right time to take action.

While, on the one hand, it should not have taken so long for the union and the company to come to terms on the issues at hand, on the other hand the UĦM should not have threatened to upset such an important weekend – for those travelling to Gozo but mostly because of this weekend’s weight in the overall Gozitan economy.

It was a narrow way of seeing things for the newly-appointed heads of Malta’s second largest union – they chose to put the interests of the people they represent first and foremost, rather than see the overall picture and the effects that the action they took would have had on Gozo.

Granted, the directive was the least harsh they could have issued, and operations at Gozo Channel were not greatly affected. But, at the same time, choosing this particular weekend was not indicative of a union that understands the needs of the Gozitan economy. And, to say it all, the union was ready to step up action into a full-blown strike if its demands were not met.

Unions should be more responsible in their actions. While their job is to see that the members they represent get fair treatment, they should not isolate these interests from other needs.