€45 million MCAST collective agreement to be signed tomorrow

Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced the government will sign a new €45 million collective agreement with MCAST lecturers and technicians, calling it the best ever offered to staff at the college.

“Tomorrow morning we will sign the best collective agreement ever given to lecturers and technicians at MCAST,” Abela told Labour Party supporters during a speech on Sunday.

The agreement, which will be signed on Monday morning, is the largest of its kind for the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology. It is expected to cover five years and offer improved conditions, wages, and support for both academic and technical staff.

In November 2023, the MUT issued directives for MCAST lecturers but lifted them in January, claiming to have found a way forward. It again issued directives in May but felt secure enough to partially lift the directives in June.

The union declared a fresh trade dispute in September 2024, but suspended directives some months later due to significant progress with the education ministry on a new collective agreement.

The collective agreement involves eight grades and includes lecturing grades, student support services grades, student mentors, and directors, LSEs, technicians grades, and senior research officers.

This move comes as part of the government’s wider plan to support public sector workers through better conditions and long-term investment, Abela said.

It follows other recent agreements, including a deal for 33,000 civil servants and a €4 million partnership with Microsoft to upgrade digital tools in government departments.

In recent months, public workers across various sectors have seen new agreements focused on modernisation, flexibility, and well-being. The Prime Minister said the government remains committed to its investment in workers while also pushing forward on social and legal reforms.

Abela added that despite the spending, Malta’s economy remains strong. Citing European Commission reports, he said Malta is currently the fastest-growing economy in Europe, and the country continues to keep both its deficit and debt levels under control.

“We have the lowest unemployment rate,” he noted, comparing today’s figures with those of 12 years ago, when 8,000 Maltese and Gozitans were without work.