The Malta Union of Teachers on Friday said it has registered a trade dispute and issued an ultimatum to the government as talks on the renewal of a collective agreement reached yet another deadlock.

The same predicament had been reached late last year as the two sides were unable to come to terms, with the MUT calling a teachers’ strike in November.

Since then, the MUT and the government have held several meetings but, in the last days, it appears that they cannot move forward.

In a statement on Friday, the MUT said that following a decision by the MUT Council which is being communicated to MUT members, the MUT has registered a Trade Dispute with the government on the negotiations of the Sectoral Agreement.

The MUT said it experienced a regression of negotiations in the past week and which led to the declaration of its mistrust in the negotiating arm of the government - IRU.

It is clear that the government negotiating arm is not willing to conclude the agreement in a timely manner and to the satisfaction of MUT and its members.

The MUT issued an ultimatum to the government of one week to seek a resolution to the current situation, that would lead to a satisfactory agreement. The ultimatum expires on Friday 24 May 2024.

In reply, the Education Ministry urged the MUT to inform its members of what the government has proposed, including the "strong financial" package. At the same time, it said it is readt to continue meeting the union, and had issued an invitation on Friday.