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Born in July 1959, Victor Carachi started his education at the Paola St Joseph Primary school from where he moved on to De La Salle College for his secondary and upper secondary education.
He pursued a banking career when in 1978 he joined the then Mid-Med Bank as a clerk. Soon after, he furthered his studies in the field of ICT and subsequently became Chartered IT Professional from the British Computer Society. He also holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the London based Henley Management College.
During his banking career, Carachi held various managerial posts in the ICT sector and was Senior Manager of the Audit, Compliance and Operational Risk Department within HSBC (Malta).
His interest and actual involment in trade unionism started when in 1995 he was elected to represent his fellow work mates both as shop steward and delegate within the General Workers’ Union folds. He served also as President of the HSBC Workers’ Group Committee and as member and later Vice-President of the GWU’s then Professional and Media Section.
In October 2007 he was unanimously elected as President Designate of the GWU. On the 8 of March 2008 he offically took over from Mr. Salv Sammut who relinquished his post as President after reaching the age of retirement.
Carachi is married and father of two daughters.
Edmond Cefai
Vice-President
Tony Zarb
Secretary General
tzarb@gwu.org.mt
Born 28 January 1954. After various studies and employment, Mr Zarb made his debut in trade unionism in 1981 when he organised the workers at the Wrangler jeans factory namely Blue Bell, where at that time he worked as a cutting operator. He was elected shop steward and delegate representing his fellow workmates members of the General Workers' Union.
In 1982 Mr Zarb attended an intensive course in trade unionism in Denmark and the following year he was elected on the Executive Committee of the GWU Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Section, and also as a member of the National Council of the Union.
In 1985 he was appointed junior secretary on a full-time basis by the National Council. A year later he was elected Secretary of the Port and Transport Workers' Section, a post he relinquished in 1996 when the extraordinary General Conference of the GWU appointed him Deputy Secretary General and entrusted him with the responsibility of co-ordinating all the Union's Sections.
Mr. Zarb was appointed Secretary General in October 1998 and officially took office on 5 January of the following year.
During his tenure as secretary of the Port and Transport Section, Mr Zarb sat on the Executive Committee of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and was also a member of the Seafarers Section, Civil Aviation Section and Dockers' Section within the ITF.
Michael Parnis
Deputy Secretary General
(International & Education)
mparnis@gwu.org.mt
Mr. Parnis, who was also elected to this post on January 5 1999, was born on July 2, 1961. He had his first education at a State school. He advanced his secondary education at the Mount Carmel College and later at the Technical Institute where he studied general engineering and obtained a certificate in shipbuilding. He also holds a diploma in Industrial Relations, from the University of Malta.
In 1978, he started his apprenticeship with the Malta Drydocks and worked as a Shipwright. His activity in trade unionism began when he was selected to represent his fellow apprentices. After being elected in 1981 as a shop steward for the shipbuilding section of the Malta Drydocks workers, he was appointed member of the Executive Committee of the same Section in 1983.
In 1989 Mr. Parnis started was employed by the GWU as junior secretary and for three years he worked among the shipbuilding workers. In 1993, he was then elected Secretary of the Textiles, Garments and Leather Workers' Section. Between 1983 and 1990 he was the International Secretary of the Union's Youth Movement and later was elected to preside over the Youth Movement, during which term he actively participated in various international seminars and conferences. Between 1986 and 1991 he sat on the European Trades Union Congress Youth Committee.
Mr. Parnis is currently the executive director of the GWU's Reggie Miller Foundation.
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