The Medical Association of Malta has instructed its members not to divulge details of its ongoing negotiations on the VGH deal with the government to the media.

The Malta Independent was informed that MAM was instructed by the government not to inform its members of details about the new drafting of the agreement with government. Asked about this, MAM secretary general Martin Balzan said this was untrue, and that the MAM is informing its members of what is happening, but gave them strict instructions not to divulge any information to the media.

Balzan said that he does not want to compromise the new agreement and will divulge all details in due course. He also said that MAM does not exclude meeting with Steward after this new agreement is drafted and signed with government.

MAM had issued a strike directive earlier this month because it said that government broke its collective agreement with the association when it was not notified six weeks in advance of the government giving VGH its consent to transfer the concession agreement to Steward.

MAM had argued that if the government broke its collective agreement this time, nothing would stop it from breaking future agreements such as its commitment not to privatise Mater Dei Hospital.

In comments to this newsroom, the Prime Minister had said he had a different interpretation of the collective agreement. Initial meetings had failed to make progress and MAM ordered a one-day strike across the board.

Subsequent meetings held off any further strikes, with the MAM saying that it registered more progress and are at present working on the text of a new agreement.