The MUT has ordered a one-day strike for Monday and declared 5 October, Friday, a day of moruning for the teaching profession. 5 October happens to be World Teachers' Day.

Council held an ad-hoc meeting this evening in view of the MUT's uncovering of the plans of the Government to undermine the profession and the professional status of educators through the education act presented in Parliament. The Council is hereby communicating its position:

- The MUT is expecting the Government to withdraw the three education bills presented in Parliament;

- The MUT is astonished how the Government is denying these unprecedented and objectionable issues included in the new education act, which will have wide-ranging implications on teachers' warrants and the newly proposed KGEs licences and LSEs licences;

- The MUT is hereby declaring an industrial dispute with the Government in relation to all the issues which were presented in a Press Conference yesterday Tuesday 2 October. The union is insisting that the proposals are an attack on the profession. The elimination of the permanent warrant is a direct affront to the profession.

- The MUT is announcing a one-day strike. All educators in State, Church and Independent schools including Post-secondary and Tertiary institutions are being directed not to report to work on Monday 8th October . This includes all educators working in services, centres, departments and directorates. A set of industrial actions will also be issued following the strike.  All members and non-members of the MUT are being covered by the Union during the strike action;

- The MUT is also declaring Friday 5th October, World Teachers' Day, as a day of mourning of the profession. Members are encouraged to wear something black during the day and change their social media profile pictures to an image which will be provided tomorrow.

Government reaction

In a statement, the Ministry of Education invited the MUT for another meeting on Thursday morning, saying it is prepared to discuss the situation further.

The ministry has every intention to explain its position on the amendments, which are still at the planning stage and could be rectified.

The ministry said the MUT had refused to hold a meeting on Wednesday, and said it was surprised that the union resorted to announcing strike action.

UPE supports MUT strike 

The Union of Professional Educators - Voice of The Workers said it will be supporting MUT in its declaration of a one day strike on Monday 8th October. 

"We hope that MUT will not buckle under the ministry's pressure and withdraw this strike at the last minute as it has done before the sectoral agreement way back in 2017," the UPE said. 

For this reason, UPE encourages its members and prospective members to show solidarity and strike as well.

UPE will continue fighting for the withdrawal of this bill as it diminishes the Educational profession, infact the Union will be meeting government officials at MEDE on Friday 5th October to talk about the proposed Bill.

Forum Unions Maltin reaction 

Forum Unions Maltin said it is closely following the current situation regarding the new Education Act being addressed by the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT), one of our affiliates.

For.U.M. noted that educators’ professional status was achieved by the same MUT after a tense period in the education sector.  MUT’s  measures to safeguard the professional status of educators by opposing the proposed act are legitimate. For.U.M.  notes that there has to be a distinction between collective agreement matters and legislation.

Once a union negotiates a collective agreement, whereby conditions of work and obligations have been agreed upon, the Union cannot expect to find measures which change conditions of work for employees through a  legislation.

 

For.U.M. strongly supports MUT’s pledge to safeguard the interest of its members and the teaching profession and it will not hesitate to take any necessary action required in order to protect the interests of all of its members.