Updated | ‘I’ll help union till death’ – Tony Zarb

Drawing the curtains on his 17-year tenure at the helm of the General Workers’ Union, Tony Zarb pledged his loyalty to the union and urged his successor to put social justice and workers’ rights at the forefront of his leadership.

“I’m proud to be a militant,” Zarb told the union's general conference in the presence of Labour leader and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who yesterday told an Ernst and Young conference that he was “proud to be a salesman.”

Promising to remain loyal to the GWU till his death, Zarb advised his successor Josef Bugeja to “beware” of who tried to destroy the union in the past.

While underlining his belief that Bugeja has “all the necessary ingredients to be one of the best secretary-generals the union ever had,” Zarb urged him to put social justice, workers’ rights, precaurous work and the cooperation with other unions at the forefront of his leadership.

Calling on the new leadership to strengthen the union’s “leftist” roots, Zarb ended his final speech as union boss by saying ‘viva l-General Workers’ Union, viva l-haddiem.”

Busuttil claims his social values 'similar' to GWU's

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil extended an olive brach to new GWU secretary general Josef Bugeja, inviting him to visit Dar Centrali and claiming that his personal values are "very similar" to those of the union which is proud of its leftist tradition.

Taking to the stage at the General Workers' Union national conference, Busuttil joked that he was "playing away" but insisted that his beliefs align with the GWU’s values.

"I believe that the economy should serve the people, rather than vice versa, and I believe that wealth must be distributed more justly," Busuttil told the packed hall at the GWU's Workers' Memorial Building.

He warned that workers' salaries are not increasing at a rate that reflects Malta's recent economic growth.

"Since Labour's election to government, the average wage only increased at an annual rate of €200, compared to an average €500 in the final four years under a PN administration, this despite economic turmoil as a result of the 2008 financial crisis.

"Since the economic storm has now passed, I would expect workers' salaries to increase at a much higher rate. Something is not right, and I am willing to work with the union to help find a solition."

He also warned that poverty is on the rise, with national statistics stating that close to 100,000 people are now at risk of poverty and that the number of people

"The number of people who were unable to meet their financial commitments increased by 14,000 last year, the number of people unable to buy meat, fish or poultry more than twice a week increased by 2,500 and the number of elderly people at risk of poverty and social exclusion increased by 2,500.

"Obviously, poverty in Malta didn't begin under Joseph Muscat, but we cannot live in denial and pretend that it doesn't exist. We must as, the basic question - why is poverty on the rise when the economy is growing?"