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The sacking by the GWU of two of its senior officials, Josephine Attard Sultana and Frans Buttigieg is a diabolical mistake. It seems incredible that a union with a history of protecting workers at their place of work should have bestowed the worst possible treatment upon two of its own.
The repercussions of this folly will have implications. The incident has little to do with legal procedures and validity of petitions. The removal of these two officials has all to do with a power struggle. What could have possibly led the leaders of the union to take such a line of action?
What we are witnessing today is a direct consequence of the power struggle which took place culminating in the leadership battle between Tony Zarb and Emmanuel Micallef last October.
But the battle lines had long been drawn back in 2003 when the failed attempt to remove Tony Zarb divided the union between those who supported Zarb’s re-election bid and those who wanted to see change.
As often happens in this country victors are not only happy to win but inevitably strive to vanquish the loser and all his or her lieutenants.
The fate of Attard Sultana and Buttigieg was sealed the very day that Emmanuel Micallef lost the leadership battle. Other dismissals will follow. No legal wrangling over the validity of the petition will refute this. Even if it was all about the validity of a petition did the union need to escalate the matter to such an extent? Could a compromise not have been found? The union overreacted, to its peril.
Many questions remain unanswered. Were they given a fair hearing? Was the vote of a sufficient weight to warrant their dismissal? Should the union have contacted the commissioner of police so quickly and so rashly? Should a person not be allowed time to clear their desk and hand in their mobiles? Why interrupt her mobile service so abruptly?
The union acted in the worst way any employer could have acted. They humiliated Attard Sultana and Buttigieg, forcing them to seek redress within the courts? It is made worse when one recalls the numerous years of service these two officials gave to the union. They gave their lives and in return they received a death blow.
They were literally thrown out of their second home.
A vote with 29 in favour, 13 against, three abstentions in a ballot where 15 council members were absent hardly warrants the drastic action taken and the inevitable fall out. Democracy is also all about respect for minorities.
The union is clearly in tatters, split, lacking leadership and out of focus with its core purpose of protecting its members; all its members and not just its leadership.
Does the behavior of the two sacked officials really go against the union’s well being and interests?
It rather seems that the union’s administration has acted against the organization’s well being and interest. At a time when trade union membership is on decline and employees increasingly face the difficulties posited by globalization, the GWU is simply caught up in an eternal feud that does little to attract young talent and members.
The GWU, as Malta’s largest trade union, has a duty to re-visit its role. It needs to shed the culture that stifles debate. Leaving no room for different opinions will only harm the union and its members’ interests in the long term.
A situation whereby the policy of the leader is the policy of the union needs to change. Herein lies the malaise, not only of the union but also of the country.
Dissent and difference in opinion should be celebrated not scorned. The GWU needs to reverse its decision, fast.
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