GWU insists public transport is not an ‘essential service’

Public transport is "not an essential service" and private operators have no legal right to establish what should be considered as a service, GWU secretary general Tony Zarb said.

Zarb said that since the issue is "purely legal", the union was ready to discuss it with government.

In a letter sent to the Director of Industrial Relations, Noel Vella, Zarb said the union had concluded that public transport was not an essential service following consultations it held both locally and abroad.

"We cannot accept that new systems are introduced and which go against the stands approved by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)," he said.

While confident that public transport is not to be considered as an essential service, Zarb said the issue could only be resolved by revoking Article 64(6)(g) of the Industrial Relations Act.

"The GWU is preparing to present the case in front of the ILO. However, we are ready to stop the procedure if government confirms in writing that it is ready to revoke the law in the shortest time possible," he added.