UNIONS FREED

UNIONS will soon be able to represent workers throughout the private sector in Gibraltar in pay struggles, apparently to the ire of the business community.

While Unite the Union welcomed the move as ‘a very positive step’, the Chamber of Commerce and GFSB attacked the government.

Unions will now be able to

Workers rights boosted in private sector but not everyone happy

By John Culatto

apply to the Director of Employment when an employer refuses to recognise a union, a long-term manifesto promise. The authorities will then oblige

THE Gibraltar Government has called the 12th round of post-Brexit talks between the UK and the EU in London ‘positive and constructive’. Political leaders from Gibraltar then attended further talks in Malaga.

Attorney General Michael Llamas represented Gibraltar’s views during the negotiations in the British capital.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia took part in the London meeting by video call and went the company to accept the union, if enough of the workers are members. And workers can now bring union representatives to disciplinary and grievance hearings.

Steven Linares, Minister for Industrial Relations, said the

Talks Roll On

to Malaga last week.

“The Government remains optimistic that a treaty can be concluded, which is safe, secure and beneficial for Gibraltar,” a spokesman said.

Although the three sides have reached some agreement, major issues like joint use of the airport, tax and pensions need to be tackled.

new law was a result of ‘detailed consultation with the Chamber of Commerce, the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses and the relevant unions’.

“Most employers already accept that modern trade union practices are as advantageous to them as to employees,” Linares added.

But the Chamber said it ‘had questioned why the Government should be doing the bidding of the unions’.

But the government retorted that by backing the party the public had decided that ‘contrary to the Chamber’s view, such a law was necessary’.

Unite Gibraltar National Officer Stuart Davies said it was ‘long-awaited legislation’ but at the same time pointed out some minor issues to work on in the future.

forcing doctors to keep him in hospital for surgery.

Picardo has now met with Governor David Steel to prepare further diplomatic moves against Spain to protest the incursion.

“The evidence surrounding this incident discloses a gross violation of British sovereignty and, potentially, the most serious and dangerous incident for many years,” Picardo said.

“Before reacting we must of course be sure of the facts but the events indicate that the actions by the Spanish officials are intolerable.”

Either way, he did reach out to his Spanish counterparts to inquire after the well-being of the officers in question.

“We continue to work with our law enforcement agencies in reaching final determinations as to the location of the discharge of weapons,” he added.

“We will also work with the United Kingdom Government in order to determine the appropriate response in respect of these dangerous actions and gross violation of our British sovereignty by the presence of Spanish law enforcement officials in Gibraltar.”

Spain’s reaction was predictable with Antonio Sanz of the Junta insisting ‘the only enemies are those who break the law’. He said Gibraltar must ‘take effective measures’ against tobacco smuggling and ‘not distract attention from other issues of sovereignty and diplomacy’.