The General Workers Union has again insisted on its proposal for mandatory trade union membership, saying this could help fight precarious employment.
Union general secretary Josef Bugeja re-floated this idea on Thursday during a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela in the run up to Worker's Day being marked on Monday.
The GWU had floated the idea in its pre-Budget document for the 2019 budget. The proposal had fuelled controversy and objections, not least from employers.
The union had justified its proposal by saying it would boost the fight against precarious employment and exploitation in sectors where unionisation is very low or non-existent, such as in construction and tourism.
Bugeja on Thursday stressed the need for such a measure, not because the union needed to increase its membership base "because we have enough", but because there were many sectors which were not protected.
"We need clear rules that protect workers from abuse. We started with a reform for platform workers and we are working on similar provisions to protect self-employed and workers employed by contractors. There's a lot of abuse out there and we need to work to protect these workers," he said.
When the idea was first floated, critics had warned that it would be in breach of the right of freedom of association as established in the Constitution and the European Charter of Human Rights.
Abela did not react to this proposal but said there was no better place to kick off Worker's Day celebrations than in the "natural home of workers".
While thanking the union for its work in difficult times, including the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he praised it for also understanding employers' difficulties.
"A union needs to understand both sides of the coin because without appreciating employers' difficulties it cannot operate and strive to improve conditions for workers," he said.
He pledged that the government will continue to create employment opportunities in various economic sectors.
He also reiterated the government’s commitment to continue cushioning the cost of energy and fuels "for as long as required".
"Economic and social development go hand in hand. We will continue helping workers by not burdening them with more expenses," he said.