AD reiterates its support to FOR.U.M’s inclusion in the MCESD

AD was reacting to the government’s proposals in reply to FOR.U.M.’s request to form part of the MCESD. AD Chairperson Michael Briguglio, who is also the party’s spokesperson for Social and Economic Development, said: “Government should stop procrastinating and making up excuses and should immediately include FOR.U.M. in the MCESD”.

He explained that as things currently stand, employers had 5 representatives within the MCESD, whilst workers' Unions only had 4 representatives. “Hence the inclusion of FOR.U.M. would help achieve greater balance”, Briguglio insisted.

The trade unions making up FOR.U.M. “should stop being discriminated upon by the government, the AD chairperson added. He insisted that thousands of workers, including University academics, teachers, bankers, engineers, architects, nurses, Air Malta pilots and cabin crew, MEPA employees and other professional workers “are being excluded from this basic right of representation within MCESD”.

Meanwhile, during a press conference on Friday afternoon, FOR.U.M. President John Bencini insisted that he was going to persist with the Confederation’s campaign to join the MCESD even till the last day of the next general election. Bencini warned that if needed, FOR.U.M would even organise press conferences outside the MCESD building during MCESD meeting times. Bencini insisted that the Government’s behaviour in this respect showed that Government wants to promote exclusion and there was “no way’ for a social pact.

“How can we be in favour of this pact, which we were in favour of although with certain reservations, if the voice of so many workers will not be heard?” Bencini asked. During his speech, Bencini referred to Act 431 which set up the MCESD as amended by Legal Notice 426 of 2007, which stated that the MCESD was a body that should give advice to the Government by providing a forum for consultation and social dialogue between the social partners.

Bencini revealed that although the social partners were the Unions and the employers, the employers’ organisations had five seats on the MCESD as against the Unions’ four. He also recalled how when the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise and the Malta Federation of Enterprise merged, however they still remained with two votes on the MCESD.