For the General Workers’ Union, 2025 was not an easy year but it was a defining one.
Asked by BusinessNow.mt to assess the past year, the union described 2025 as “a demanding but decisive year,” one that reinforced the core purpose of organised labour in an increasingly pressurised economy.
“The 2025 has been a demanding but decisive year for the General Workers’ Union,” GWU said, adding that it confirmed “one thing very clearly: when workers face pressure, strong, structured social dialogue and collective bargaining deliver results.”
Across both the public and private sectors, GWU concluded an extensive list of collective agreements, securing what it describes as “real wage improvements, better working conditions, and stronger job security.”
These included major agreements covering the Public Administration, the Armed Forces of Malta, Correctional Services (uniformed and civilian officers), GO, Water Services Corporation, MaltaPost, Gasco, the Malta Stock Exchange, Project Green, RSSL, aviation operators such as EasyJet and Medavia, and sectoral agreements across administrative, technical, trades and supervisory grades. The union also concluded agreements with multiple employment agencies and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fleet Operators Association.
At the same time, the union faced the threat of mass job losses. “We also faced the spectre of redundancies in different workplaces,” GWU notes without specifying on the industries. Through mobilisation, pressure and collective bargaining, it says it “helped secure an adequate severance package for hundreds of workers (both Maltese and international) affected by the closures.”
From collective agreements to national policy
Beyond individual workplaces, the union positioned itself as a central actor in national policymaking. GWU says it played an active role in shaping policy on issues, including special leave entitlements, digital platform work, fair pay, equal pay for work of equal value, recruitment and employment agencies, cost-of-living protection, productivity, migration, mobility and social protection.
One of the most concrete outcomes, the union highlights, is that “about 14,000 contract workers (e.g. carers, security guards, cleaners) are guaranteed pay equal to their public-sector counterparts for the same jobs.”
GWU also submitted detailed proposals for Malta’s 2026 budget and Malta Vision 2050 while intensifying inclusivity initiatives and expanding its work with migrant workers – an area it says has become a priority rather than an add-on.
Europe, courts and the global stage
At European level, 2025 saw GWU taking positions well beyond Malta’s shores. Together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the union actively called on the EU Court to uphold the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive, describing it as “an important piece of legislation that must be defended.” The court ultimately rejected the claimant’s main arguments.
The GWU also participated in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), ETUC structures and the International Labour Conference (ILO), reinforcing what it describes as “Malta’s voice at the European and global level” in debates on minimum wages, pay transparency, platform work, social protection and the future of work.
Internally, 2025 was also “a year of renewal,” with investment in structures, attention to new forms of work, and stronger representation for workers in emerging and non-standard employment.
“It was not an easy year – but it was a year where the General Workers’ Union proved its relevance, credibility and responsibility,” the union says.
2026: growth, AI and global instability
Looking ahead, GWU is blunt: “2026 will be a pivotal year for the world of work and society.”
While the economy is expected to continue growing, the union warns that technological change – particularly artificial intelligence – will test whether progress benefits workers or sidelines them. “AI and digitalisation must be implemented in a human-centred way, enhancing skills, protecting jobs and improving working conditions rather than replacing or overburdening workers,” it says.
At the same time, the union flags global instability as a major risk. It points to “the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis and systemic oppression faced by the Palestinian people, as well as rising trade tensions, tariffs and economic disputes between major powers,” warning that these have “ripple effects on labour markets, prices and the security of workers worldwide.”
Domestically, GWU expects debates in 2026 to revolve around workers’ rights, productivity, social protection and civil rights. Wage pressures, it says, are not going away – but the solutions matter.
“Solutions cannot rely on longer hours or weakened protections,” the union insists. Instead, it calls for “modern collective bargaining and social dialogue, investment in skills, stronger social protections and robust safeguards to ensure that every worker shares in economic and technological gains.”
Key areas of focus will include the implementation of Malta Vision 2050, skills gap policies, pay transparency, the adequate minimum wage, cost-of-living pressures and access to affordable housing. “The choices made now will have long-term effects, and the GWU needs to be an active participant in the discussions,” it says.
As work becomes more fragmented, the union is particularly concerned about those outside traditional employment models. “Workers in Malta, especially those in non-standard, self-employed, or digitally mediated jobs, will need fair treatment, security and meaningful participation in shaping the future of work,” GWU says.
Its prediction is clear. “Dialogue will be central,” the union argues, adding that countries that marginalise workers “will face instability and inequality.”
The union’s final message for 2026 is unequivocal: “Social dialogue will not be optional in 2026; it will be essential.”
