Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1511791
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 NOVEMBER 2023 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "What we are proposing in the sectoral agreement will encourage people exiting university to join the teaching profession," he said without elaborating. The government and the Malta Union of Teachers are locked in a dispute after sectoral agreement talks failed. No details have yet emerged in public on the union's demands and the government's proposal. Sourc- es within the teaching profession said the MUT has not even com- municated its own proposals to its members. On Friday, the MUT said a sec- ond conciliatory meeting failed to break the impasse and govern- ment's fresh proposal was reject- ed. The union will be convening its council this week to determine the way forward as industrial ac- tion in State and church schools continues. The MUT has ordered industrial action that has led to the cancel- lation of meetings with parents, including IEP meetings for chil- dren with particular needs, and no keeping of school attendance, among others. A full-day strike is also planned for 27 November. Speaking to this newspaper yes- terday, Grima said he did not agree with the union's industrial action since government's offer was "just" and "substantial". "While I respect the union's right to take industrial action, I cannot accept directives that cause pain to students with disability and their families," Grima said. Parents of children with a dis- ability have expressed concern since union members have been directed not to use communica- tion books, and not attend IEP meetings, where the course of action for the scholastic year is mapped out. The union has defended its ac- tions, insisting it was left with no option but to take industrial ac- tion as it accused government of reneging on its electoral pledge. The budget estimates for 2024 show that the education depart- ment will be paying €260.9 million in salaries and wages plus another €53.1 million in allowances. Ad- ditional expenditure on bonuses, social security contributions and overtime take the total staff ex- penditure to €343.7 million. These estimates do not incorpo- rate increases that would be due as a result of a new sectoral agree- ment. Wages for educators are deter- mined by the public service sal- ary scale, which is subject to a separate collective agreement. Different categories within the public service then have sectoral agreements that boost pay packets through specific allowances and arrangements. The current talks between the MUT and the government are for a five-year sectoral agreement. The last such agreement was con- cluded in 2017 and expired in De- cember last year. In an opinion piece appearing to- day, MUT President Marco Bon- nici insists the trade dispute was called after government cancelled two meetings intended to discuss financials after two previous offers had been rejected "within min- utes". "The writing is on the wall and it is up to all educators in State and Church schools to make the re- quired pressure en masse through participation in industrial action to obtain the promised and deserved financial increases," Bonnici write, adding the MUT will stand with all educators in this dispute. Contingency plan Meanwhile, senior government sources have told this newspaper that a contingency plan has been put in place for 27 November to minimise the disruption the strike will cause. "Public sector employees who will have to stay at home to take care of their children because of the school strike will be allowed to use telework," the sources said, adding that on the day the Break- fast Club and Klabb 3-16 services will not be available. There is also pressure within the government not to yield to de- mands for educators who go out on strike to be paid. "Workers who strike will not be paid," the sources said. Offer on table 'much higher' than increases given five years ago - minister The writing is on the wall OPINION EARLY this year the Malta Union of Teachers was involved in difficult negotiations on im- proved work conditions and financial packag- es for personnel at the Institute for Education (IFE), a public entity within the Education Ministry. The entity focusses on training of educa- tors and has expanded its remit as a training section within the Education Ministry. Pri- or to this extended remit the ministry used to provide centrally-driven training. Following the recognition process which established MUT as the sole union repre- senting personnel at IFE, we engaged in ne- gotiations which led to discussions on the financial package. These discussions were held before and in early summer. The union had a number of directives in force at the time. While pressing for a revised financial package with the government, two state- ments reached the union. The first reached us through a number of channels and stat- ed that the government was ready to close down IFE and transfer its services to anoth- er entity. Despite being dismissed by the Education Minister himself, this rumour continued to haunt the negotiations pro- cess. The other statement, received even in formal settings, was that the government had pledged a 'significant financial package' in the sectoral agreement for educators and not in the agreement for IFE personnel. The IFE agreement involves some 30 staff members and the government has to date not provided any significant increase to the current financial package of these employ- ees. Several excuses have been mentioned. The most glaring is that the government had proposed, established and agreed upon (with itself, may I add) the financial package at IFE prior to the start of negotiations with the MUT and this cannot be updated. Ne- gotiations at IFE stalled in late summer and there is nothing to suggest the government will budge. Meanwhile, the MUT's pledge to its members at IFE is that the time will come for an escalation in industrial action to obtain the requested results. The situation at IFE and the failure of the government to provide a significant fi- nancial package sent clear messages to the MUT. If the government is not even willing to provide a significant financial package to a group of 30 employees, how will it provide the promised 'significant financial package' to thousands of educators in the sectoral agreement? It was not long after the IFE ordeal that the first meeting on the financial package of the sectoral agreement was held. In late summer, at Castille, government officials presented the first proposal boasting that government's commitment is to recognise the work of educators. The proposal was passed on to the union and within minutes of its receipt the MUT returned it back to the government and walked away from the meeting. We insisted this was unacceptable. Another meeting was held and this time the union presented extracts from media reports of the pledge the government had made prior to and following the general election to provide a substantial financial increase to educators. We just wanted to remind them of their promises. But anoth- er unacceptable proposal was presented by government officials. Again, the MUT returned the proposal back to government officials within minutes. Two other meetings were scheduled by the government to discuss financials with MUT. However, the government cancelled both meetings. This led to the declaration of a trade dispute by the MUT and subse- quent industrial action. Despite on different scales, the modus op- erandi of the government during the IFE negotiations repeated itself on the much larger sectoral agreement. The writing is on the wall and it is up to all educators in State and Church schools to make the required pressure en masse through participation in industrial action to obtain the promised and deserved financial increases. The MUT will stand with all educators in this dispute. Marco Bonnici is president of the Malta Union of Teachers Marco Bonnici