Quo Vadis GWU?

It’s history in the making for the GWU as delegates will be asked to choose between Tony Zarb and Manwel Micallef

Manwel Micallef knows that he is making trade union history. Since the times of Reggie Miller, the election of the Union's general secretary was always a foregone conclusion.
Leaders like John Attard Kingswell, Anglu Fenech and Tony Zarb found themselves elected without being contested.
Although ruptures did take place in the past resulting in the departure of strong personalities like Kingswell and Fenech, none of the past GWU secretary generals were ever elected after unseating a predecessor in an election. But this is not the only aspect which makes Micallef an exception in the union's history. His image defies the stereotype of the angry trade union militant or the bureaucratic union boss. He is image conscious and a born communicator. Even in a one to one interview, Manwel Micallef is constantly gesticulating with his hands while using his rhetorical skills as if trying to impress an imaginary crowd.
The approaching battle between the two GWU titans seems to be a battle of style pitting Zarb's more traditional and brusque approach against Micallef's flamboyant character. Tony Zarb has been harping on the nobility of trade union militancy for the past weeks. But the distinction between trade union moderates and militants irks Micallef. "This distinction does not apply for me. One should simply act like a professional trade unionist."
For Micallef the testing ground for any trade unionist is the negotiating table. "On the negotiating table I consider myself a militant but this also involves the ability to communicate with the other side and with the workers who are directly effected by any decision taken." Micallef is not new to the negotiating table. He had a fundamental role in negotiations with the government on the restructuring of the Malta International Airport, Air Malta, the dockyard and PBS. Micallef defends his record as a negotiator. He does not feel in any way responsible for the weakening of Malta's national TV station. "We never agreed with PBS that the newsroom should be deprived of a head for a year and a half. We never agreed with PBS that some workers are over worked beyond human limits. This was all due to poor implementation of the restructuring.”
He also defends the IPSL scheme through which former dockyard employees were shifted to other areas of the public sector by saying that the government is saving money by using this pool of workers instead of the private contractors for certain works.
Micallef states that he is contesting the GWU top post because he wants to "improve the quality of leadership in the General Workers Union."
But Micallef has worked alongside Tony Zarb in the union's leadership for the past four years. If the quality of the union's leadership is the problem should Micallef be considered a part of the problem or a part the solution? Micallef insists that in an organisation like the General Workers Union where the General Secretary has wide ranging powers, one can only really change things if one is at the top. Throughout the interview Manwel Micallef refrains from attacking Tony Zarb. But he does not mice his words on the wrong tactics used by the GWU in the recent past.
"I get constant feedback from our members that the union sometimes heightens their expectations by its proclamations and campaigns only to disappoint them when the momentum fizzles out before anything concrete is accomplished."
For Micallef the contest with Zarb is not just a matter of style. It is a question of methods and strategy. One of the current campaigns of the General Workers Union, the so-called anti guillotine campaign matches the description of a campaign which fizzled out after a number of very loaded pronouncements by Tony Zarb, who also threatened to stop the whole country in the name of 13 Interprint workers. But Micallef defends the union's position on this issue which was endorsed by the union's council. Micallef says the union currently lacks a sense of direction. "By insisting that we have to go the whole road instead of stopping midway, I am saying that we should have a clear direction in mind when we start something." And Manwel Micallef has already produced a road map for the union.
His long term goal is that of increasing the union's membership beyond its traditional base but in order to get there he is determined to put the house in order. He acknowledges that during the past years the union has been losing members and that in order to win new members the union must restore its credibility.
Before any election worthy of its name, leaders often speak in terms of reducing the distance between the leadership and the common mortals by cutting the unnecessary bureaucracy and procedures which come in the way. Addressing those who will be voting in the approaching battle, Micallef promises "more power to shop stewards and delegates." He promises a flatter and less hierarchical union.
Putting the Union's finances in order is also one of Manwel Micallef's priorities. For the past years cargo handling has been one of the union's financial lifelines. But the GWU will be losing its monopoly on this sector following government’s port reform.
Now the union is part of a consortium bidding for the cargo handling tender and there is no guarantee Cargo Handling Company Ltd will win.
Micallef admits that if the Union loses this tender it will end up losing a substantial part of its income. "We cannot survive without financial investments as membership fees do not suffice to make the union viable. We have to start looking for new investments as from now."
The Union's financial problems will not be resolved either if the consortium in which it is involved does win the tender. During the initial years the consortium will need to invest money rather then reap dividends.
Micallef refuses to state whether the GWU presently has a deficit but he makes a clear commitment to ensure that the union does not spend more than it earns. After setting the house in order, Micallef promises to make the General Workers Union a key player in the country's social and economic development. Micallef is disappointed that despite the current economic difficulties and the current climate of disenchantment in the country, the General Workers Union has not managed to give the country a sense of leadership. "We live in a time where even supporters of the party in government express their disenchantment and where supporters of the opposition pretend something better even if they support their party." Micallef think that this is a great occasion for the General Workers Union to honour its tradition as a pioneer of social reforms by becoming once again a driving force in the country. But Micallef insists he has no interest in blurring the distinctions between party politics and trade unionism. Micallef has no qualms in defining himself as a Labourite and a leftist but he insists that this does not mean that the GWU would be a push over when dealing with the MLP.
"The GWU cannot ever be politically independent. The very roots of the GWU are tied to the MLP's roots to the extent that we were even married for a time. All the Union's former leaders subscribed to leftist principles and our membership base tends towards the left side of the political spectrum. It would be a mistake if we were to abandon our leftist principles."
Yet despite his Labour sympathies Micallef contends that the strategic interests of the GWU and those of the MLP are not identical. "As a union we are destined to remain always in the opposition. I am a self professed Labourite. But I am also a Manchester United supporter and this does not affect my work as a trade unionists. In the same way my work as a trade unionist is not affected by my political sympathies. There are cases where the GWU and the Labour Party have different interests. There are cases in which the strategy of a political party conflicts with the long term interests of the working class. In those cases our duty as trade unionists is to protect the interests of workers."
The leadership contest between Zarb and Micallef will also be relayed to the public through the media of the two main political stations. Micallef is apprehensive that the Nationalist media will try to neutralise him by presenting him in a good light, only to encourage suspicious delegates to keep the status quo in the union.
"When the Nationalist media gives me exposure, I ask myself, are they doing this to support me or are they doing this to weaken my chances? Most delegates do not trust the Nationalist media. When the Nationalist media shows me in a good light, these delegates could start thinking that I am in league with the Nationalists. It could well be the case that the PN strategists are aware of this. Their ulterior motive could be that of ensuring that Manwel Micallef is not elected. But I am sure delegates are intelligent enough to see through this strategy."
Reaching out beyond the union's constituency is high on Micallef's agenda. He considers trade union unity as a pre condition for any renewed attempt at a social pact. "We have to start walking before we start running. It would be easier to reach a national agreement if we have a unified and strong trade union movement in the country," says Micallef. The unionist envies the unity shown by employers’ organisations, which despite competing with each other for status are still able to present a common front when confronting national issues.
"My first priority would be that of creating a climate of collaboration with other trade unions," Micallef insists.
Yet a trade union movement aspiring to take on the role of the country's agenda setter needs a very clear vision on basic economic choices such as employment and the role of the public sector in society.
Where does Micallef stand on these issues?
Transcending the dichotomy between cushioned public sector workers and those in the private sector, who are fully exposed to market forces, Micallef contends "that everyone whether he works in the private sector or in the public sector should have the right to work."
But according to the hopeful GWU leader this right can only be guaranteed if everyone who has lost a job has the opportunity of finding a new one. Micallef accepts that the world and society have changed and rejects the job for life mentality. "The concept of a job for life does not make sense in present day realities. One cannot expect to get employed as a messenger or a government clerk and remain so for all his life."
Micallef recognises that while the public sector is contracting, the private sector is assuming a more prominent role in the economy. "Today some workers work in an environment where they can lose their jobs in five years. In order to better protect these workers employers must understand the meaning of corporate social responsibility. This means that employers should feel obliged to offer the right training for workers so that in the eventuality that if the factory closes they would be equipped with the necessary skills to find alternative employment."
Micallef is cautious on the challenges posed by globalisation as many are using this word as an excuse to squeeze more from the working class. But his answer to the challenges created by globalisation is the need for more investment in training and university research. "In many ways we are putting the cart before the horse. This is the feeling I get when government and Malta Enterprise officials boast of attracting pharmaceutical industries to Malta while lamenting that we do not have enough trained workers."
He even criticizes university researchers and lecturers for not taking a pro active role in formulating the right ideas for the country.
Although style, vision and image will play a role in the big clash, the result will be determined by the balance of forces within the union. Micallef is hopeful that he can make it. "I am sure a large number of delegates are behind me not simply because they believe in me but because they have the organisation's interest at heart. These delegates believe that Manwel Micallef can be a tool to make the union stronger."
Micallef contends that even Tony Zarb shares this sentiment. "Deep down in his heart, even if he would not admit it, Tony Zarb knows that I can contribute a lot to the union by taking the next steps in its glorious history." Although he has decided to contest against his former leader, Micallef still considers his longstanding relationship with Tony Zarb an excellent one. If he wins Micallef is still ready to work with Tony Zarb within the union's structures.
"On a human level we are still good friends." Micallef insists that he has always been loyal to Zarb's leadership. He praises Tony Zarb for giving a lot to the union but Micallef goes on to say that "the interests of the organisation must come before personal friendships." Both Tony Zarb and Manwel Micallef are risking their jobs in the union if they do not win. "If I lose I risk losing my job and I will have to find alternative employment." But Micallef could double insure himself by contesting more than one post.
"I am considering contesting both my current post as deputy general secretary as well as the post of secretary general but I might as well lose both contests. In that case I will have to say goodbye to the union. But I will never say goodbye to trade unionism."
Ironically while the union is fighting a battle to guarantee the jobs of employees threatened by what it describes as government's guillotine policy, one of the union's main protagonists might end up seeking a new job with no guarantee of alternative employment.