MPA seeks right to protest through industrial action

Police officers are frustrated at the fact that although they have been given the right to belong to a trade union, they have never been given the right to carry out industrial action.

The Malta Police Association (MPA) has launched an appeal calling on the Police Commissioner and the authorities to recognise their right to protest through industrial action. Talking to The Malta Independent on Sunday, an MPA spokesperson – while applauding the authorities for allowing police officers to join a trade union – said that police officers’ rights are still ‘diminished’.

The right for police officers to join a trade union was ratified in February 2015 but the MPA is arguing that this right is lacking in substance.

“It simply does not make sense to allow police officers to join a police trade union when, at the same time, we still don’t have the right to protest. So what’s the use?” the spokesperson said.

An employee’s right to join a trade union is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The MPA argues that the same Article that sets out this right also mentions the right to negotiate collective agreements.

According to the MPA, the law tabled in Parliament in February 2015 provides for police officers to enrol in a union, but does not give them the tools to take concrete action. “It’s the same old argument – that the rights of the police should be limited,” the spokesperson said.

The Association is complaining about Maltese legislators lacking the will to provide such basic rights to police officers.

The two police unions, the MPA and the Police Officers’ Union – GWU, have been requesting to meet the Ministry for Internal Affairs to discuss the matter but to no avail.

The MPA has already brought two cases before the Civil Courts to “defend the rights of its members”, but hopes that no further legal action will need to be taken to defend what they define as a ‘basic right’.