The Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Employers’ Association have joined forces against proposals that the General Workers’ Union (GWU) is putting forward to political parties. In a very hypocritical manner, these two organisations are heavily criticising the GWU proposal about Government, giving preference to those companies for which workers are covered by a collective agreement when issuing tenders, a Labour Party (PL) statement said.

Their hypocrisy shines through when they know that their own members have spoken out against the unjust competition that is putting them at a disadvantage in the issuing of tenders, it added. 

According to PL, the Chamber of Commerce and the MEA are leading others to think that they are not against workers being members in trade unions but at the same time, they are approving those companies which are not in any trade union.

The Chamber of Commerce should also know that when it is taking a position against the GWU about the government employing those contractor workers that are giving a service in government department, it is being two-faced, PL said. It should know that, contrary to what it is saying, those workers are working precariously.

The GWU appealed for these two organisations to fight against precarious work and not say one thing and then act differently, the statement concluded.