The Malta Union of Nurses has called on government to employ the nurses who graduated this year on a casual basis.

In a letter to the health minister, the secretary-general of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Colin Galea, said a substantial number of vacancies existed at all hospitals and therefore the new nurses should be given jobs. He said that around 90 nurses were still unemployed.

The government was ignoring the fact that nurses are under stress due to staff shortages, said Mr Galea. Nurses were also unable to take a day off.

The MUMN, he said, insisted that money matters should not take priority over the quality of treatment given to patients, and parts of the collective agreement on “relieving pools” for nurses had not been honoured.

Mr Galea asked for an urgent meeting with the minister to discuss these issues.