The Confederation of Malta Trade Unions is supporting the stand taken by the UHM Voice of the Workers and the Medical Association of Malta on the privatisation of the Gozo Hospital, Karen Grech Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital.

In a statement, the CMTU welcomed the government’s commitment for better governance in decisions taken, and also the withdrawal of legal notices exempting hospital owners from needing to apply for development permits.

The CMTU however said that before the final agreements on employees’ working conditions are signed, the agreements signed by the government with foreign entrepreneurs should be tabled in the House of Representatives and the independent auditing of such agreements is concluded.

Reacting, the Nationalist Party said that Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi have a lot to answer for. The call for the publication of the contracts signed as well as the conclusion of the investigation by the Auditor General are legitimate requests which the government cannot ignore, the PN said.

The party added that it has been insisting for months that such contracts are public, including others in the energy and oil sectors, also signed by Konrad Mizzi.