University academics approve new collective agreement

A new collective agreement for academics at the University of Malta will introduce a revised salary structure running until 2029, with professors’ salaries rising to €111,000 and lecturers’ pay reaching over €66,000 under the top scale.

Details presented by the University of Malta Academic Staff Association (UMASA), and agreed to by around 95% of union members, show significant increases across all academic grades between 2024 and 2029, alongside changes to promotion rules, research recognition and retirement extensions.

New salary structure

Under the new agreement, academics will be paid under two options, with the higher “Option A” scale offering the most substantial increases.

By 2029, salaries under Option A will rise to:

• Professor: €95,206 in 2024 increasing to €111,000 by 2029
• Associate Professor: €80,769 rising to €94,167
• Senior Lecturer: €66,062 rising to €77,021
• Lecturer: €57,002 rising to €66,459

A lower Option B scale will also apply, with salaries reaching the following levels by 2029:

• Professor: €84,274
• Associate Professor: €76,760
• Senior Lecturer: €67,755
• Lecturer: €59,366

Other academic roles will also see increases over the five-year period. Assistant lecturers with a master’s degree will earn €43,202 in 2024 rising to €50,368 by 2029, while assistant lecturers will move from €40,231 to €46,905. Senior teaching associates will reach €50,949 by 2029, while teaching associates will earn up to €45,854.

UMASA said the new scales include a steep increase of around 12-13% in the first year, with salary adjustments continuing gradually through to 2029.

Academics will also receive arrears payments, estimated at €25,000-€30,000 for professors, €17,000-€20,000 for lecturers and senior lecturers, and €10,000-€12,000 for assistant lecturers and associates.

Changes to promotions and research criteria

The agreement also introduces procedural changes affecting academic career progression.

Applications for promotion to associate professor or professor must currently be submitted 18 months before the applicant reaches retirement age. Under the new agreement, this requirement will be shortened to 12 months.

The definition of what counts as research has also been widened to better reflect creative and artistic disciplines, acknowledging outputs that fall outside traditional academic publications.

In addition, examining PhD theses will now be recognised in promotion assessments, alongside the supervision of doctoral candidates.

New rules on retirement extensions

The agreement also changes rules governing academics who continue working after retirement age.

At present, professors can request extensions indefinitely. Under the new framework, academics will be able to remain in full-time employment until the age of 75. Between 75 and 79, they may apply for a TR4 arrangement, allowing them to continue contributing in a reduced capacity.

A grandfather clause will apply to current full professors, allowing them to remain in full-time employment until the age of 77, with the possibility of requesting TR4 arrangements between 77 and 79.

Another clause allows full professors who are already aged 72 or over when the agreement is signed to opt out of the collective agreement’s conditions on a one-time basis.

The agreement forms part of a broader reform of working conditions for academic staff at the university, covering pay progression, research recognition and late-career employment arrangements.