Thursday, 4th December 2008
CMTU-MUT dispute
Nurses, academics back teachers
The spat between the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and the Confederation of Malta Trade Union (CMTU) has intensified as two other unions yesterday expressed solidarity with the teachers' union.
The University Academic Staff Union Association (Umasa) and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, which, like the MUT, is a CMTU affiliate, extended their support as the teachers' union reiterated lack of confidence in the CMTU leadership under William Portelli.
It comes in the wake of a dispute between the MUT and the CMTU over the former's idea to set up a Trades Union Council.
Tit-for-tat exchanges in the media have led the CMTU to call on MUT to be diplomatic and respect the confederation's statute with the latter declaring it had no confidence in the way the CMTU was being led. The teacher's union stopped short of calling for Mr Portelli's resignation.
The MUT said no threats of suspension from the confederation will shut it up because its first priority was safeguarding the interests of workers and pensioners.
On Monday, the confederation threatened to suspend the teachers' union from its membership as of tomorrow unless it changes its attitude towards the confederation and its leaders.
The decision was taken during a meeting on Monday, which the MUT did not attend because it had a meeting of its own council to discuss the water and electricity tariffs.
This situation erupted when the MUT took offence to a comment made by Mr Portelli who said the union's proposal to form a TUC was "untimely".
The rift between both sides heightened when the confederation declared publicly it approved the latest electricity rates, with the MUT saying it had reservations over the tariffs and was therefore annoyed that the confederation had made a favourable public declaration.
MUT president John Bencini, who had served as CMTU president for just over a year before stepping down in 2006, said the union did not believe that 73 per cent of households would benefit from the eco-reduction on their electricity bill.
The government's figures included about 28,000 households, which use about 370 units of electricity a year and which were probably owned by people who live abroad or are holiday homes, he said.
Mr Bencini argued that the union's computations showed that single- and two-person households would be worse off. Moreover, the authorities had set the new rates on the pretext that oil prices did not go up.
"We need to clarify some things before agreeing to the new rates," he insisted.
The MUT said the confederation had "conveniently" ignored the fact that it could not attend Monday's meeting and still went ahead with it. It accused the confederation of having issued a statement full of "uncertainties and half-truths" after the meeting.
"In this infamous meeting, the CMTU acted as prosecutor, judge and jury and condemned the MUT without having the decency to listen to it," the union said, referring to the confederation's ultimatum.
The MUT accused the confederation of undemocratic activity, which breaches its own statute. In a counter-statement, the CMTU reaffirmed its position of suspending the MUT if it did not change its attitude by tomorrow.
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Comments
In this respect, UMASA would like to show its solidarity with the MUT both in its initiative to setup the TUC, as well as its decision to join other unions, including UMASA, in requesting additional clarifications on the modified electricity and water tariffs.
Michael A. Saliba
Secretary - UMASA
Part 1:
UMASA supports the setting-up of the Trade Union Council
UMASA fully supports any initiative that leads to the setting-up of an effective TUC. We believe that this is in the interest of all employees and their families. A fragmented trade union sector invariably leads to a weaker representation on issues of national importance. The setting-up of a TUC will not negatively affect the individual characteristics of the component unions. Each organisation would still be able to operate as a distinct entity in support of its own members but would also benefit from being part of a bigger trade union movement. The current credit-crunch, which is negatively affecting the global economy, makes it imperative for the unions to pool their resources for common goals. What unions can achieve when they work together has recently been confirmed by the common stand they adopted on the issue of the new electricity and water tariffs, a stand that has resulted in the reduction of the additional burden introduced by the new tariffs. It is rather unfortunate that this common front has not been maintained right till the end.
Suspending the MUT will only create a stronger rift that may be difficult to heal. The easiest way out of the mess would be for William Portelli to resign forthwith. An EGM could be called with the intention of holding elections for the post of President. If Mr Portelli is democratically re-elected the MUT must accept the result.
Colin Galea, General Secretary, MUMN