Nurses union boss charged with claiming overtime he did not work

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) president Paul Pace will be facing a Public Service Commission disciplinary board after allegedly requesting payment for work not carried out, even when abroad. 

According to the Times of Malta, an inquiry board found inconsistencies in Pace’s overtime statements over the past years, with requests for payment amounting to an undisclosed amount of money, which is still being calculated.

The inquiry board in question was set up after political pundit Manuel Cuschieri claimed that the nurses’ union boss requested several hours of overtime at his workplace in Mount Carmel Hospital when he was actually on holiday in Egypt.

In Mount Carmel Hospital, Pace is a charge nurse with specialisation in infection control.

Sources close to the mental health hospital told Times, that Pace’s overtime declarations go “straight to the human resources department and are then relayed to the accounts department, without anyone checking, verifying or actually questioning them.”

Paul Pace was presented with the accusations he will face before the Public Service Commission and the charges were signed by Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Joseph Chetcuti. 

Sanctions include outright dismissal or suspension from work.

The investigation into fraud and misappropriation claims by the police remains uncertain. While the initiation of the investigation might depend on the filing of a report by the public service head, sources told the same newspaper, that the police's Financial Crimes Investigations Department could also independently launch their inquiry. 

The story comes 48 hours after nurses approved, by 87%, a pay agreement reached between MUMN and Health Ministry which will boost incomes, and encourage young people to join the profession.

However, the allegations were first brought to public attention at the same time when MUMN and the Health Ministry were locked in a dispute concerning the working conditions of nurses.

Pushed on his show ‘Linja Diretta’ on Smash TV, Manuel Cuschieri had threatened to speak more about the issue if it was not investigated. 

The inquiry board in question was set up after political pundit Manuel Cuschieri claimed that the nurses’ union boss requested several hours of overtime at his workplace in Mount Carmel Hospital when he was actually on holiday in Egypt.

Two days after these claims, Pace enacted a suspension of various directives issued to nurses deployed at health centers and the Gozo General Hospital. These directives had been integral to a comprehensive industrial action initiated by the union in March, a response to stalled discussions regarding a new collective agreement, with the union contending that there were inadequate funds allocated for nurses.

'Very serious breach of his personal data'

Speaking to the Times of Malta, Paul Pace’s lawyer Chris Cilia, verified the submission of the charges.

“Such procedures are still on-going and have not, as yet, been determined. Consequently, it would be not only unethical but also in breach of the PSC regulations and in manifest contempt of the board established in terms of the PSC regulations to make any comments at this stage,” the Cilia said.

The lawyer also said that they intended to initiate legal proceedings in court the following day, citing the confidential nature of the details pertaining to the Public Service Commission board.

He emphasised that the dissemination of this information must have been an unlawful act, carried out by a public employee with access to their client’s private information and records within the Health Department. This act is deemed a violation of the ethical standards outlined in the Public Administration Act, as well as other statutes governing data protection and GDPR regulations.

“What my client is certainly in a position to comment about is that there has been a very serious breach of his personal data as protected by both Maltese as well as European legislation when a few months ago someone (as yet unknown, but whose identity will certainly be established when the appropriate judicial procedures will be instituted in defence of my client’s rights) chose to leak information from my client’s personal records as a public employee to radio broadcaster Manuel Cuschieri,” he added.