After 82 years, the GWU’s purpose remains clear: to be the voice of all workers, to leave no one behind, and to help build a Malta founded on fairness, dignity, and solidarity, says Josef Bugeja
Eighty-two years ago, in 1943, the General Workers’ Union was founded at a time when the scarcity of workers’ rights in the British naval yards demanded both a voice and militant resolve.
Malta’s largest trade union today traces its origins to the hardships faced by our ancestors, who built a movement that has transformed our country’s social and economic landscape. From securing the minimum wage and pensions to introducing the 40-hour workweek and paid leave, the GWU has been a cornerstone of social progress in Malta. Today, 82 years later, we carry this legacy of progress proudly as we look ahead to the future.
As I reflect on decades of achievements, I confidently tell GWU members and other stakeholders in industry and politics that this union today is a vibrant force, one that is adapting to the future.
We are Malta’s most representative trade union, a trusted social partner whose voice resonates not only in Valletta but also in Brussels and Geneva. In a world transformed by digitalisation, artificial intelligence and the urgent green transition, our mission remains the same: to defend dignity and opportunity for every worker.
What is clear is that the labour market is evolving faster than at any point in modern history. Platform work, automation and globalisation are reshaping how people earn a living. With these changes come new risks of precarity and exploitation. To take on this challenge, the GWU has expanded its reach to digital and platform workers, ensuring that, even in new and fluid forms of employment, workers have a voice. Our never-ending efforts to secure equal pay for work of equal value demonstrate that collective action still delivers real change.
Today, more than ever, we are seeing a growing number of employers denying workers their right to unionise, a reality that affects young and foreign workers. We are seeking the enactment of a law that will name and shame abusive employers, while calling for the need to have automatic unionisation of workers.
We are also addressing the growing mental health crisis in workplaces, where stress and burnout are too often treated as inevitable. A dignified job must also mean a healthy life. That is why we are calling for greater attention to well-being, work-life balance, and professional development in every collective agreement.
Malta’s system of social dialogue remains one of our greatest strengths. The GWU has always been a pillar of that dialogue. This road has been built through constructive negotiation and dialogue that is genuine as well as responsive to the new realities of technology. We have consistently shown that better working conditions and business sustainability can go hand in hand.
Collective bargaining today is not only about wages; it encompasses skills training, green transition planning… in a nutshell, the future of work. Our officials work professionally and collaboratively with employers to ensure that productivity and fairness can move forward together.
A growing number of employers deny workers their right to unionise– Josef Bugeja
In an interconnected world, workers’ rights cannot stop at national borders. Through our active membership in the European Trade Union Confederation and participation in the European Economic and Social Committee, the GWU ensures that Maltese workers’ voices are heard in the shaping of European directives, such as in the Pay Transparency, Adequate Minimum Wage and Platform Work directives. We are proud to represent Malta in the International Labour Organisation, advocating for decent work, fair migration policies and climate justice. Small countries like ours deserve a strong voice in shaping global labour standards.
Our long-term vision looks beyond immediate demands. By 2050, we want a Malta that is competitive and socially fair, a country where economic growth never comes at the expense of human dignity; a country where gender, age or nationality are never barriers to opportunity.
We want a Malta that is both economically sustainable and socially sustainable.
Social protection must remain strong and universal, ensuring that no one is left behind in moments of difficulty. We want every worker – Maltese and foreign, young and old, traditional and digital – to feel represented and respected.
Many young workers feel that trade unions belong to another era. But their challenges, the affordability crisis, insecure conditions of work, digital precarity and inequality only make solidarity more vital than ever.
We will meet them where they are: online, in their workplaces and through new, flexible structures designed for the modern economy.
The story of Malta’s social and political progress will always be inextricably linked to the GWU. The story of Malta’s social and political progress is inextricably linked to the GWU. Every major advance in workers’ rights bears our imprint.
But progress cannot be taken for granted. The pressures of globalisation and inequality demand a forward-looking union that understands today’s economy and prepares for tomorrow’s.
That is why Malta needs the GWU as a dynamic social partner ready to safeguard workers’ rights and build a society that values justice as much as prosperity.
After 82 years, our purpose remains clear: to be the voice of all workers, to leave no one behind and to help build a Malta founded on fairness, dignity and solidarity.
