GWU official attacks union's anti-EU stance

Peter Paul Barbara, who drew two of the reports for the General Workers Union on the impact of EU membership, feels the union should have never adopted its current anti-EU slogan.

"I think that the first slogan put forward by the GWU - to stop, think and decide - would have been a better one especially since the GWU is a multi-sectoral union," he said.

Mr Barbara was contacted for his views on the current situation after 12 reports commissioned by the union were leaked to the media.

The GWU has been attacked by several sectors in the past weeks for keeping its numerous reports under wraps and adopting its slogan Int Ma Jaqbillekx (It is not in your interest) irrespective of the reports' conclusions.

When asked if the majority of the reports were in favour or against membership, Mr Barbara said if put "in a national context the conclusions were generally positive".

Mr Barbara also feels the union's present slogan fails to address the welfare of workers who will be positively affected by membership.

"My personal preferred option would have been for the union to direct its members sector by sector," he said.

Mr Barbara, who was employed as the union's EU desk officer and now works at the GWU on a part-time basis, believes Malta's future lies within the EU.

"I believe that the EU has been a huge success. The EU has never witnessed so many years of uninterrupted peace, save the Balkans conflict, and I cannot see why Malta should not form part of this success story," he said.