The four employer-constituted bodies have reiterated their opposition to obligatory trade union membership, as suggested by government.

The Malta Employers Association, the Malta Chamber, the Small and Medium Enterprises Association and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association were replying to Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul.

The constituted bodies said that membership or non-membership of a trade union is an individual choice and cannot be forced by the government, employers, or trade unions.

This is a fundamental principle enshrined in the Constitution of Malta, as well as in international treaties such as the United Nations and European documents.

The four bodies denied they had had negotiations on this subject, despite what Ellul hinted in a recent interview.