Malta - Union leader calls for broader union membership - February 28, 2026

The outgoing Secretary General of the General Workers' Union has reiterated his belief that the future strength of organised labour depends on widening union membership and collective bargaining coverage, particularly in sectors where workers remain most vulnerable to exploitation. One of his most controversial positions has remained his advocacy for mandatory union membership with an opt-out mechanism, a proposal which he argues could significantly reduce workplace abuse. After initially pressing forward with the idea, the Government ultimately changed course, fearing legal backlash.

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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.