Around 3,000 members in the Union of Professional Educators are being instructed not to comply with the directives and strike action the Malta Union of Teachers announced yesterday, UPE Executive Head Graham Sansone said.

In a press conference on Saturday, Sansone said that educators do not know the reason why they are being instructed to strike, and that the strike and directives issues were anticipated by the UPE last week following discussions with insiders from the Ministry and the MUT.

The MUT announced a strike for 27 November and other directives to start from Monday.

Sansone also said that the MUT is only negotiating working conditions and allowances, and not the basic salary, which will remain unchanged until the end of 2024, as it is a separate agreement between all Trade Unions and the State.

Sansone said that no one knows the reason for the MUT instructed strike, alleging that the MUT has not provided its council members, or its working groups within the union, with a copy of the discussed yearly allowance, including the amount.

“What issues during negotiations with government have not been agreed upon? It appears that government is satisfied with the proposed text and financial package. Can the MUT leadership clarify what the government has proposed and what the MUT expected?” Sansone said.

He said that educators are concerned that further reforms would be introduced after an agreement is reached, as had happened after numerous reforms were introduced after the 2017 agreement through side agreements with the MUT, without the knowledge of their members.

Sansone cited a lack of transparency within the MUT leadership, as the vice-president has resigned quietly, and both that position, as well as that of Secretary General have remained vacant.

“The UPE also wishes to highlight that the MUT and government are presently negotiating an illegitimate agreement, as the UPE holds the majority of Learning Support Educators (LSEs) and should be the party negotiating on their behalf,” Sansone said, adding that the UPE reserves the right not to acknowledge the agreed-upon text related to working conditions for LSEs.

The UPE also desired for educators to not blindly follow “self-centred leaders” into losing a day’s salary without seeking further clarification and knowing the reason for the strike.

Sansone said that on the day of the strike called by MUT, the UPE will also issue directives so that educators present at school will not be overwhelmed.