Updated | New teachers’ union being set up to counter MUT’s ‘conflict of interest’

A new union is being set up to represent the interests of teachers, educators and allied professionals and excluding all management grades, MaltaToday has learnt.

The decision was reached in the past few days following a meeting involving numerous teachers, kindergarten assistants (KGAs) and learning support assistants (LSAs).

During that meeting, many of those present appear to have voiced their consternation at the lack of adequate representation for the larger body of the Malta Union of Teachers membership.

Several teachers who attended the meeting, and who spoke to MaltaToday on condition of anonymity, said that the MUT was too focused on defending management and not doing enough for the lower tiers of educators.

That meeting ended with a firm resolve to set up a new union – to be called the Malta Union of Educators – to focus solely on improving the conditions of employment of teachers, LSAs, KGAs and lecturing grades.

The new union will definitely not be taking on as members any headmasters, school administrators and other management-grade employees.

Sources told MaltaToday that they wanted the new union to avoid falling into the same trap of the MUT, which had a huge conflict of interest since it represented both management and workers and because of its close ties to the establishment.

The teachers insisted the new union should also provide a professional platform for educators to participate in decision-making and to influence debate on local education issues.

Members would benefit from individual and collective bargaining; the union would provide ongoing advice, guidance and advocacy.

Last week, following an exhaustive campaign – postponed because of the general election – and fraught with accusations, allegations and judicial protests, Marco Bonnici was elected to be the new president of the Malta Union of Teachers. 

Bonnici won 1,200 votes while Franklin Barbara, who also contested the election for the same post, trailed behind by only six votes, ending up with 1,194. 

The hard-fought election – which also featured extensive online and social media advertising by the candidates – was originally scheduled for the beginning of April but was put off after all the members of the electoral board resigned, without citing any reasons. 

It was then postponed again once the 3 June general election was announced, with the council deciding not to have its candidates campaigning during the general election
campaign. 

MUT reaction

In a reaction, the MUT it wished to express its “disagreement with all points raised in the article in relation to the union”.

“The MUT has been representing its members collectively, as groups and individually for 98 years and the many successes throughout the years have proved this over and over again,” read a statement by the union.

It went on to list “many agreements” which it said were signed “including ones at MCAST and MEDE Student Services, St. Martin’s, San Anton, St. Michael’s, on tablets, E-Learning Platrom, on Bridging between different employers, mobility, recovery of maternity leave in August and many others”.

“The new MUT leadership has already continued its work through various representations including discussions on two major agreements,” it continued, adding that the union had also “relentlessly informed, helped, defended and fought for individual members requiring its help”.

In conclusion, it said the union had many issues to tackle and that the new leadership would be working hard to “improve its various structures and communication with members in order to be equipped to continue with its work”.