Zarb tells workers to brace themselves for EU

General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb yesterday warned workers to brace themselves for the "most crucial" two years they have ever had as Malta positioned itself to join the EU.

An increasing number of workers were already realising how right the GWU was to warn against membership, he said.

Mr Zarb was addressing delegates of the union's public sector section at the end of the biennial general conference.

He said that a recent report issued by international ratings agency Moody's indicated to the government that it had to speed up the privatisation process and its reforms in the public sector.

Yet nobody had as yet explained to the unions how such changes would affect workers, Mr Zarb said.

The GWU would respect the people's decision to opt for EU membership, but it would do its utmost to cushion the impact on workers, he said.

He insisted that workers should not bear the brunt of restructuring under the pretext of modernising structures.

On a positive note, Mr Zarb said the union was pleased that the new workers' laws had resolved certain discrepancies, though he expressed disappointment that the right of civil servants to resort to the industrial tribunal had been eliminated.

Harking to the occasional discords within the hierarchy of the union, Mr Zarb stressed that disagreement on certain issues was sometimes healthy - it did not mean that individuals were at each other's throats.

Mr Zarb said the GWU could not give its blessing to the collective agreement signed at Maltapost.

Last month the GWU registered an industrial dispute with Maltapost, claiming to represent the majority of workers. But Maltapost later said that the Union Haddiema Maghqudin should have sole recognition.