Double Standards by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin

Last week thousands of people gathered in Valletta to protest against the hefty rises in utility tariffs. The protest was organized by Ghaqda Unions Maltin but the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, alongside with the Government and the conservative press, were very vocal against the demonstration. Just a week after the protest the UHM is boasting about the fact that five members of the Malta Union of Teachers have joined UHM because of their disapproval how the issue of the utility tariffs was handled by the MUT leadership. However MUT replied that it was compensated with five new members. When one remembers the massive scale of industrial unrest which the UHM started in a protest against higher utility tariffs in 1998 under a Labour government, one can easily realise that UHM is being hypocritical and is ingratiating the Nationalist Government. In 1998 UHM registered an industrial dispute with the government over the increase of utility tariffs. Industrial action was ordered in the public sector and it escalated when the workers blocked the Freeport, halting most of the import and export operations.

However as the water and electricity bills have now been raised by the Nationalist Government, the UHM is condemning anyone who is protesting against this rise. Optimism had risen when in 2008 UHM joined the other unions in a national protest but since than it has acted as a force which divided the working-class. Alongside with its ally, the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions, which is ironically mostly composed of members from UHM, has been against the proposal of creating a Trade Union Council. Most of the unions are in favour of creating a Trade Union Council as FORUM and GWU have both joined their forces to create Ghaqda Unions Maltin. FORUM is a confederation of trade unions composed of Malta Union of Teachers, Malta Union of Midwifes and Nurses, Architects and Engineers Public Sector Union, University of Malta Academic Staff Association, Union of Professionals of the Planning Authority, Central Bank Workers Union, Airline Pilots Association, Association of Airline Engineers, Union of Cabin Crew, Enemalta Professional Officers Union and MEPA Union of Technical and Clerical Staff.