Tomorrow workers and their organisations celebrate and mark Workers Day in Malta. Workers in other EU countries will also organise countless events including mass demonstrations and hopefully, theirs, like ours will be peaceful. Locally, various activities both in nature and in scope are organised, mostly by the trade unions and political parties.
The Catholic Church created the feast of St. Joseph the Worker around the mid-twentieth century to coincide with the celebration of International Labour Day, which by then was already making major inroads in many countries.
Presently, May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries around the world, and celebrated unofficially in many other countries. International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. A public gathering during a general strike for the introduction of the eight-hour workday was dispersed by members of the police force when an unidentified person threw a bomb at the workers. The police reacted by firing on the workers, killing dozens of demonstrators and several of their own officers. Witnesses who were present at the assembly later testified that the pistol flashes came from the center of the street where the police were standing, and none from the crowd.
In Malta the trade union movement developed and evolved over the passage of time in many ways. Trade unions developed different successful strategies in conducting their business. Most shifted from flexing their muscles to engaging in more meaningful social dialogue to resolve differences. Admittedly, locally sectorial unions in the public sector still take a more militant approach. Confrontation is mostly led by these sectorial public sector unions. With few exceptions, trade union leaders in Malta have, overtime, developed a language which is less aggressive, fuels less animosity and encourages more social dialogue.
Other trade unions took other pathways and positive initiatives which also shaped and transformed the national agenda. No doubt trade unions have, and will continue to have, the responsibility to balance and check a handful of employers who, for their greed and inability to manage effectively their operations, deprive their workers from financial gain and better conditions of work. Equally, trade unions have to ensure that they work closely with entrepreneurs and other businesses leaders to ensure that trust and cooperation between the two sides are nurtured to the benefit of the whole operation. There are no winners and losers in cut throat competition and unions together with employers must continue to seek innovate ways to ensure particularly bottom line driven companies to remain afloat in these challenging times.
On the eve of Workers’ Day recognition is due to the former late leaders of the independent trade union movement led by CMTU president Salvinu Spiteri flanked by Maurice Agius, UHM secretary general and supported by Alfred Buhagiar, MUT president and MUBE, president Norman Rossignaud. Many others supported the CMTU in its’ mission and strived to strengthen the independent trade union movement. In Malta the independent trade union movement was under a fierce attack led by the Socialist Government and other close allies.
Salvinu, Maurice, Alfred and Norman together with many others soldiered in the worst of times. They were at the forefront to protect not only workers and the working poor but basic trade union rights. No doubt these gentlemen, together with their loved ones paid a hefty price for taking charge and responsibility to lead the independent trade union movement when the Socialist Party was in office. The Socialist Party had no cognizance of the real values of social dialogue, instead occasionally resorted to other less tactful means to persuade people. In those times Xandir Malta publicly endorsed the Socialist vision and reached the worst levels in news reporting, while current affairs programmes were not only biased but portrayed negatively the independent trade union movement. In any case that was yesterday.
Tomorrow, Malta will also celebrate another important anniversary. Malta joined the European Union on 1st May of 2004, a National accomplishment, which today is embraced and owned by all. Malta’s membership has secured a set of values and principles which are enjoyed by all.
Malta has, at times painfully, restructured its economy but today the necessary infrastructure and economic instruments to participate effectively in an open economy are set. The new administration has the responsibility and the necessary economic tools to improve the necessary environment for the local and foreign business community to invest and create more employment opportunities with higher and better conditions of work. The test is now. Time will tell and people will judge on performances rather than on promises.
Until then, let us raise our glasses, and drink in honour of our hard working workers and their ingenious employers, together they can strive for an even better future. Three cheers!
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