9 - 15 March 2000

Further action to be announced today on Kalaxlokk dispute

by Franco Aloisio

There were no developments yesterday in the deadlock over the Kalaxlokk dispute and the General Workers' Union is expected to announce further industrial action today.

No contacts between Kalaxlokk management and the union took place and as a result the industrial action ordered by the GWU is expected to escalate. In fact a meeting of the Port and Transport Section of the GWU is scheduled for this morning in which further action is expected to be announced.

The section's secretary, Manwel Micallef, told The Malta Business

Weekly the industrial action expected to be announced today could be ordered not only to Kalaxlokk workers but to all port and transport workers.

The dispute between the Kalaxlokk management and the GWU is on a number of issues, but mainly involves the sacking of one of the union's shop stewards and the delay in the issuing of salaries to the company's employees.

At present Kalaxlokk workers are following the union's directives of go-slow and work-to-rule.