Every year, 5 October marks the birth of the General Workers’ Union. Today it
celebrates the 80th anniversary of its foundation. Throughout these years, the GWU
has been a firm voice for workers’ rights, for social justice and for the economic and
social prosperity of every citizen in our country. Therefore, no one and nothing can
deny or dismiss the important place GWU holds in the recent history of our country.
GWU has worked tirelessly to ensure that workers’ voices are strengthened and
heard more, while their rights are protected and, above all, their dignity is upheld.
Indeed, workers’ dignity at work is one of the main themes of the international
conference that started yesterday and will end today.
The GWU conference was entitled “Building a Better Future: Social Protection,
Dignity, Innovation, Sustainability” As high-level foreign guests stated on the first day
of the conference, the GWU should be proud of its work which has led to the
improvement not only of the conditions of workers but also of the living conditions of
Maltese families.
We therefore believe that on this anniversary we should not only look at and rely on
the achievements of the past, because although these have been very important for
the development of workers, today we are faced with new challenges, all of which
will have an impact on the world of work and especially on the lives of workers.
So the importance of GWU as a major workers’ organisation is still there and as
strong as ever. Proof of this is the fact that GWU has always looked ahead to
anticipate these challenges and try to advance solutions to them.
The GWU is one of the strong voices in the social dialogue in our country, not only
through its activism within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development,
but also through the proposals that are put forward from time to time to improve the
lives of workers and their families and to improve quality.
Therefore, the GWU remains competent, consistent and credible.
