This made the union furious and a two-hour total strike was called yesterday morning.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, section secretary Jesmond Bonello said 13 members of the company’s management went to the Central Mail Room in Marsa and started sorting letters which had not been processed for a number of days since the Maltapost workers were obeying directives issued by the union.

As a result of this “arrogant gesture”, he said the union ordered a total strike for all the 50 employees of the Central Mail Room between 10.30am and 12.30pm yesterday. Mr Bonello said the union could not tolerate such an attitude, especially since what the union was doing was in the best interests of the workers.

Mr Bonello said the union is now considering further action, adding that the directives will be re-evaluated on Monday.

Meanwhile, the union also increased directives for all Maltapost workers, with effect from this morning. The workers now have a ban on overtime, no collection from all letterboxes, no processing of letters from government departments and no distribution of fines issued by local councils.

In addition, the workers have also been ordered not to distribute letters issued by government departments, not to distribute leaflets and magazines usually distributed through the Bieb Bieb service and not to distribute registered letters.

As a sign of goodwill and a sign of corporate social responsibility, the union exempted letters involving polyclinics, the health departments, post involving social services and post for the National Commission for the Disabled.

A series of directives are also being observed at the Malta Tourism Authority, the Broadcasting Authority and the National agency for alcohol and drug abuse, Sedqa.