Relations between trade unions and political parties in the immediate post-war years

Abstract

The establishment of GENERAL WORKERS UNION led directly to the post-war emergence of the LABOUR PARTY as a political force on the Island. Malta was at the time engaged in a struggle for economic survival which has rendered more difficult because of the problems of reconstruction that it faced. This short study examined how the relationship between these two organizations was influenced by the social, political and economic conditions which prevailed in Malta in the years immediately following the end of the war. It also traces the pressures faced by the Union from local power structures, in its attempt to ameliorate the conditions of its members. The Union's attempts to preserve its freedom of action are also discussed.