MUT gives government one week ultimatum on sectoral agreement, declares trade dispute

The Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) has issued an ultimatum to the government regarding educators' sectoral agreement which is still not agreed upon.

On Friday, following a meeting with its members, the MUT officially declared a trade dispute with the government concerning the ongoing negotiations of the sectoral agreement.

This decision follows a setback in the negotiations last week, prompting the MUT to express its mistrust in the government's negotiating entity, the Industrial Relations Unit (IRU).

The union has accused the IRU of unwillingness to finalise the agreement promptly and to the satisfaction of the MUT and its members. Consequently, the MUT has issued a one-week ultimatum to the government to resolve the issue and reach a satisfactory agreement, with the deadline set for Friday, May 24, 2024.

In response, the Education Ministry encouraged the MUT to "factually inform" its members about government's proposals,"including the strong financial proposals." 

The Ministry reminded the union that it is interested in further meetings, noting that it had invited the union to another discussion on Friday.

The negotiations between the MUT and government regarding the sectoral agreement have been going on for months now, as educators had first took part in a strike last November. 

MaltaToday had reported that educators themselves are out of the loop regarding the cause of the disagreement, although the deal's financial aspect is mostly regarded as the main bone of contention.