By Nicole Farrugia

Trade unions date back to the nineteenth century, with the first union in Malta established in 1884 for dockyard workers, called the fitters union, during the time of the British. This move was influenced by the emergence of the British Trade Union Movement and the Industrial Relations Model which began to spread in other countries. All this paved the way for a solid foundation in workers’ rights.

According to a survey carried out in 2018 by Manwel Debono (lecturer at the University of Malta), almost sixty percent of workers in Malta are part of a union. Although this figure is testament to the power of trade unions in Malta, I had the desire to increase my knowledge, through a project as part of my post-secondary education. I learnt about the impact of unions on workers and jobs, and the consequences on society should they no longer exist.

As a student without much experience in the employment market, the few days I spent at UHM were very informative. I was not aware of the importance of trade unions, until I had the opportunity to participate in several meetings with UHM members. The UHM officials showed great dedication, and it was evident that the members were receiving the desired support in a professional manner.

There is no doubt that despite the improvements in with respect to discrimination and occupational safety, there are many workers who have been discriminated against in one way or another. If one considers that an employee spends about a quarter of their life at work, one will realize how crucial it is to fight discrimination. Depending on the gravity of the situation, a worker subjected to inequality or other types of inappropriate environments, has a high chance of ending jobless, missing out on promotions they deserve, and working in conditions which do not guarantee the minimum occupational health and safety standards. In certain situations workers end up suffering from mental illness due to work pressure. Unfortunately, this can result in a high risk of delinquency and violence even on relatives and work colleagues, as evidenced by certain cases in Malta.

Following my experience I can vouch that trade unions like UHM are necessary. There were several cases whereby workers were not being listened to or working in an environment they wanted. However, in Malta over the years several measures have been taken to improve conditions at work including laws on equality and other types of discrimination (included in the treaty of Amsterdam), which were introduced altogether in a new legislation in 2000.

While the primary role of trade unions is to represent their members in matters of employment and in collective agreements, they have a much larger role to play in society. They offer educational, lifelong learning and training opportunities to their members, many of whom would not have had this chance if it were not for their union. Unions like UHM offer support to those who have experienced illegalities at work, or want certain changes at the workplace. At the same time, members have easier access to employment-related legal advice and support.

If there were no trade unions in Malta, the majority of workers would end up without a voice, with a greater risk of having unacceptable working conditions and without deep knowledge of their rights.

(This article was written by Nicole Farrugia as part of her post-secondary project focusing on the role of trade union in Malta which involved shadowing several UHM officials)