16 - 22 March 2000

Unions presented with budget counter-proposals

by Franco Aloisio

The General Workers Union and Union Haddiema Maghqudin were yesterday presented with the government's counter-proposals in the budget dispute. An agreement with one of the two unions was imminent, but could not be finalised due to delays in the schedule of the meetings held this week.

GWU secretary general Tony Zarb said the union's action committee, set up to decide on how to react to the budget measures, as well as the union's national council, will review the government's reply to the union's proposals. On the other hand, the UHM general council will meet next Monday to evaluate the government's counter-proposals. UHM secretary general Gejtu Vella did not disclose any information on the union's proposals and the government's counter-proposals. However UHM yesterday evening said that it was satisfied that the government had made it very clear that it wanted to tackle tax evasion in a serious manner.

Mr Vella said that the statistics show a huge disparity in the income tax of different employment sectors, indicating massive tax evasion. For instance, out of the Lm128m collected from income tax last year, workers paid Lm56.6m, companies paid Lm47.2m and self-employed forked out Lm8.4m.

The GWU was also tight-lipped over the contents of the proposals: "We have just received the government's proposals and it would be premature to make any comments on them yet.

"The action committee already started reviewing them and they will then be submitted to the national council which will decide on what guidelines the GWU will take," he said. The GWU received the government's letter late yesterday morning after four meetings between the two sides.