Teachers' strike at MCAST would have impacted students most, college principal says

Strike action by the Malta Union of Teachers at MCAST will hit students when they are preparing for exams, college principal Stephen Cachia tells court • MCAST had filed the court injunction after collective agreement talks hit a brick wall

The MUT called off strike action at MCAST after the college took the matter to court
The MUT called off strike action at MCAST after the college took the matter to court

Stephen Cachia, the principal at MCAST, has defended the college's decision to seek a court injunction against the Malta Union of Teachers, insisting that students would have had to suffer the brunt of strike action.

Cachia was testifying before Judge Joseph R. Micallef in a sitting on Wednesday. MCAST is asking the court to stop the MUT from taking industrial action over a dispute on the new collective agreement.

Cachia explained that the actions were expected to take place at a time when the students would be preparing for exams and could also affect the payment of their stipends.

MUT was last week forced to abandon two two-hour strikes on Thursday and Friday. The union described the college's actions as a "grey day" for trade unionism.

The MCAST principal explained that last year, 42 meetings had been held between the parties over the collective agreement. Since July these had been making progress but Cachia said that at one point the MUT insisted on stopping the talks on the first part of the collective agreement and instead focus on the financial aspects. MCAST had passed on six proposals to the union, he said.

 

MUT president Marco Bonnici gave details on how the union had been conducting intense negotiations with MCAST in the hope of reaching an agreement. The union had presented a proposal in September which included salaries and allowances, asking the college for a reaction. No reaction was forthcoming, however and the industrial dispute was filed in November.

“We showed goodwill once, twice, three times. First we withdrew the one day strike, then we suspended the directives. After Christmas we continued with discussions. At one point there was agreement on suspending the directives for a week. In that week there was no change and we gave them two weeks. We didn’t reach an agreement again,” Bonnici told the court.

He challenged the assertion that MCAST gave six proposals, saying the union only had three in hand. “I think enough is enough for the union, which has been working on this since November.” 

Judge Micallef will deliver a decree on the matter from chambers.

Lawyer Mark Portelli is appearing for MCAST, whilst the MUT is being assisted by lawyer Michael Tanti Dougall.