Labour meets GWU over MCESD participation

The Labour Party has discussed its possible participation at the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development with the General Workers' Union.

High-level delegations from both sides met for about an hour-and-a-half at the union's headquarters in Valletta on Wednesday, sources said yesterday. The meeting was not open to the press.

Asked about the meeting, both GWU secretary general Tony Zarb and MLP secretary general Jason Micallef said "routine matters" were discussed.

The Labour delegation was composed of leader Alfred Sant, deputy leaders Michael Falzon and Charles Mangion, party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and Mr Micallef.

The union was represented by Mr Zarb, president Salvu Sammut, deputy general secretaries Manwel Micallef and Michael Parnis and vice president Helen Mallia.

The union and MLP administrations meet on a monthly basis although there have been times when the meetings were not held so regularly. They have now resumed and the next meeting is scheduled to take place at the MLP's headquarters.

Union Haddiema Maghqudin's general secretary Gejtu Vella said during an MLP-organised seminar last Saturday that the MLP's announcement that it was prepared to start participating in a sub-committee of the MCESD was good news. The country, he said, needed everyone's efforts to move ahead.

However, the GWU's Mr Micallef argued at the seminar that the MLP should not have a secondary role on a sub-committee but should be on the main committee. The present MCESD statute does not, however, allow political representation.

Sources said the GWU was irked that the UHM is taking the credit for bringing Dr Sant to the MCESD, a move which the UHM sees as being another step towards achieving a social pact.

However, the MLP secretary general said it was only "Gejtu Vella's interpretation that Dr Sant will be on the committee of the MCESD".

Mr Micallef said the party was formulating a paper on the social and economic situation and would be basing it on what the social partners had to say. Apart from Saturday's seminar, the party had already met the Federation of Industry and the UHM at their own request.

The MLP is making its participation at the council conditional on the participation of the Gozo Chamber of Commerce and representatives of pensioners and the financial services sector.