Doctors lament preferential treatment for those who work solely in the public sector

Medical professionals file judicial protest lamenting preferential treatment afforded to those who work solely within the public sector

Doctor (File photo)
Doctor (File photo)

Over 100 medical professionals have filed a judicial protest calling upon the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Health to halt the discriminatory treatment actively being caused by a 2022 sectoral agreement.

In view of the agreement, medical professionals who elect to perform private practice work are paid less than those professionals who exclusively exercise their profession within the public sector.

The medical professionals, in their protest, contend that in addition to fulfilling their duties within the public sector with total respect towards their obligations, they also exercise their profession within the private sector during those periods in which they are not required to report for their public sector work.

They further noted that according to a sectoral agreement concluded almost three years ago between the Government and the Medical Association of Malta (MAM), the working conditions of those professionals working exclusively within the public sector and the conditions of those who also perform work within the private sector differ completely with regard to the remuneration they receive, inasmuch as those working within the private sector are paid much less than those who exclusively work within the public sector.

The protest moreover states that such a distinction, solely based on the ability of medical professionals to exercise their profession within the private sector after their working hours within the public sector, constitutes blatant and unacceptable discrimination as well as a clear breach of the ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ principle.

The protest was signed by lawyers Chris Cilia and Timothy Bartolo.