The industrial action ordered by the General Workers Union (GWU) in respect of various categories of hospital workers has prompted the government to ask the relatives of patients to lend a helping hand.

Addressing a press conference at the ministry, Health Minister Louis Deguara remarked that the industrial action will affect patients more adversely than it will the government.

The union has ordered nursing aides, health assistants, care workers and assistant care workers at all hospitals and health centres not to carry out any work other than the distribution of food and coffee or tea. They were also told not to carry out any work related to Mater Dei Hospital, while those working in health centres have been ordered not to handle medical files or X-rays and not to make appointments.

This means that all those who comply with the GWU’s directive will be carrying out only 15 per cent of their workload, therefore the public will be paying full pay for 15 per cent of the work, said the minister, adding that overtime work will be stopped immediately until the end of the industrial action.

Dr Deguara said the sector is comprised of 891 workers in Malta and Gozo. He added that the worst hit institutions will be the St Vincent de Paul Residence (SVPR), which accommodates some 1,100 people, and Mt Carmel Hospital, which accommodates 800 patients. The bulk of the workers concerned are employed at these two institutions.

The minister confirmed that by noon, 100 per cent of SVPR and almost all of Mt Carmel Hospital’s nursing aides, health assistants, care workers and assistant care workers were complying with the GWU’s orders. He said the worst hit by this industrial dispute are bedridden patients who will seriously run the risk of developing bedsores, since the workers following the GWU’s directives are those who handle such patients. Among their duties, said the minister, these medical workers handle, wash and clothe patients.

The minister said the GWU is insisting on upgrading nursing aides to salary scale 13, obtaining an adequate premium for nursing aides and care workers and securing better working hours. He said that as from 1 January, care workers will be given an annual Lm195 premium, while it is bound by an agreement signed by the GWU, among others, that benchmarks should not be tampered with. The minister said scale 13 is reserved for nurses, thus upgrading nursing aides to scale 13 is tantamount to tampering with benchmarks.

Dr Deguara said that, in 1996, certain nursing aides had been given a pay rise that was customary for those who had been in service for a number of years.

In a statement, the GWU said it deplored Dr Deguara’s attempt to incite patients’ relatives against workers, who are obeying its directives.

The union said that it is not fair that colleagues who carry out the same duties and work the same hours are paid differently. It also complained that the premium allowance had been requested for the four categories.

In all industrial disputes, said the GWU, there are people who are adversely affected, although they have no direct connection with the issue. It complained that, unlike other unions, whenever it exercises its rights according to the law it is always attacked.

The union asserted that were it not for government’s reluctance to keep negotiations going, the issue would not have reached the current stage. It also insisted that the workers who are obeying the GWU’s directive are not responsible for handling, washing and dressing patients.