The Professionals, Finance and Services Section of the General Workers’ Union which represents the District Managers, Store Managers, Assistant Store Managers, Warehouse Managers and Store Assistant Managers of Lidl (Malta), is currently involved in an industrial dispute with the said company. The main objective of the industrial dispute is that the workers are currently not given a fair treatment by the management of the company when following the present disciplinary procedure.
The GWU is insisting on introducing a disciplinary procedure in the new Collective Agreement that is in line with the industrial tribunal structure. The negotiations for this agreement have been ongoing for more than a year and a half due to disagreements on various issues.
Up to now, the GWU has kept insisting that there should be a radical change in the disciplinary procedure especially when it is clearly evident that the workers are not being treated fairly in disciplinary cases.
During a meeting held between the two parties, under the guidance of lawyers representing each party, it was suggested by the same management to hold a vote by the members. The vote had to determine whether the employees confirm the company’s current procedure or if the procedure was to be changed as proposed by the GWU. Eventually the result of the voting showed that the employees unanimously voted in favour of the Union’s proposed change.
Back in August when the GWU declared the industrial dispute, a conciliation meeting was held in the presence of the Director General of the DIER. Consequently, the company was advised that the Disciplinary Board should be composed of a representative of the company, a representative of GWU and a chairperson agreed upon by the two parties.
Considering that the company has still not accepted the Union’s proposal, the GWU will continue to insist that the procedure be changed so that the workers are given an appropriate and fair opportunity to defend themselves when faced with disciplinary procedures.
