The writing is on the wall | Marco Bonnici

Early this year the Malta Union of Teachers was involved in difficult negotiations on improved work conditions and financial packages for personnel at the Institute for Education (IFE), a public entity within the Education Ministry. 

The entity focusses on training of educators and has expanded its remit as a training section within the Education Ministry. Prior to this extended remit the ministry used to provide centrally-driven training. 

Following the recognition process which established MUT as the sole union representing personnel at IFE, we engaged in negotiations 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 statements reached the union. The first reached us through a number of channels and stated that the government was ready to close down IFE and transfer its services to another entity. Despite being dismissed by the Education Minister himself, this rumour continued to haunt the negotiations process. 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 employees. 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. Negotiations 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 financial 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 another 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 subsequent industrial action. 

Despite on different scales, the modus operandi 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