Teachers' strike suspended as 20% pay rise demand is acceded

The Malta Union of Teachers has suspended a planned strike on Wednesday in State and church schools after the government has met a key demand to increase salaries by 20% while talks on other conditions will continue

6 November 2017, 5:05pm
by Tia Reljic

1 min read

The Malta Union of Teachers has suspended strike action in State and church schools

Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici says the government has not only met but acceded its demand for a 20% salary increase for teachers, prompting the union to call off a planned strike on Wednesday as a sign of goodwill.

Teachers are locked in an industrial dispute with the government after negotiations on a sectoral agreement stalled. A key demand was a substantial salary increase.

Bonnici said talks in other areas related to conditions of work will be discussed in meetings over the coming weeks.

The agreement was welcomed by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo in a Facebook post.

The union and the Education Ministry have been locked in intensive talks for the past week. Teachers have been following directives that included the suspension of parent meetings.

Tia Reljic is a former MaltaToday reporter