Letter leak denial

The Confederation of Malta Trade Unions has categorically denied that it leaked to the press a letter sent by mistake to its offices by European Trade Union Confederation general secretary Emilio Gabaglio.

CMTU general secretary Charles Magro said in a statement that the confederation had sent other correspondence on the matter to Mr Gabaglio and that this would be published at the appropriate time.

The General Workers' Union has suspended its relations with the CMTU and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, claiming that a letter addressed to the union and sent by mistake to the CMTU was leaked to The Times and in-Nazzjon.

The GWU yesterday accused the CMTU of trying to evade responsibility for the leak, and said that until the confederation and the UHM made a public apology for their "very irresponsible behaviour", relations would remain suspended.

The GWU claimed that instead of informing it about the letter it had received, the CMTU had made its contents accessible to Gejtu Vella, UHM secretary general, who had then spoken about it during a meeting at university.

It said the ETUC had rebuked the CMTU in a letter and had also stated that the letter was "obviously leaked by the recepient".