The management at MCAST, where a two-hour strike was staged by the Malta Union of Teachers on Monday, said the MUT announcement on 3 October about industrial action for 8 and 12 October, had come as a surprise.

Negotiations on a collective agreement between the MUT and MCAST had been going on for weeks but had been suspended by the MUT on 2 August. Subsequently MCAST contacted the MUT on several occasions to resume talks.

MCAST said that was why the strike notice was a surprise. In fact, a conciliation meeting was appointed for today, it pointed out.

In its latest statement, following Monday’s strike action, the MUT said that planned strike action for Friday was still on schedule.