General Workers' Union will attend vigil for Jean Paul Sofia

Malta’s largest trade union, historically aligned with the Labour Party says it will be attending Monday’s vigil for Jean Paul Sofia and all workers who lost their lives on the job.

In a short article on talk.mt, the General Workers' Union (GWU) said it was unacceptable for workers to carry out their job without returning back home.

It also insisted that justice should be delivered without delay, “not just in this case, but in others that have been delayed for months and years”.

“With regards to a public inquiry, the GWU agrees that this should be carried out, as should be done with every tragic accident in the workplace. This is because all workers are equal in the eyes of the union.”

The GWU said it is calling for transparency and accountability in all of these accidents, including in the recent death of Mohammed Kasem Hashem Alkhateeb, who also died in a construction site accident.

“For the GWU every workplace death is a tragedy, not just for the family and loved ones, but also for society in general.”

The union joins numerous influencers, media personalities, student organisations, and former president Marie Louise Coleiro Preca in promoting a vigil for Jean Paul Sofia, who died in a construction site collapse last December.

The family of Jean Paul Sofia has been campaigning relentlessly to open a public inquiry into his death and prevent further construction site deaths.

Monday night's vigil is a reaction to a parliamentary vote taken last week that saw Labour MPs shoot down an Opposition bill to appoint a public inquiry into the matter.

The family has since received bipartisan support, with people from all walks of life joining their call for a public inquiry.