The General Workers Union (GWU) yesterday called on the government to set a meeting to discuss the ongoing saga over the sole recognition of nursing aides, saying that it would call off industrial actions as soon as a date was set.

In a press conference called yesterday afternoon, the section secretary of the government and public entities section, Louis Marsh explained that the union introduced industrial actions over three main issues.

“As a union representing the majority of nursing aides we put forward three proposals to improve the working conditions of nursing aides,” said Mr Marsh.

However, he said, the union recently found out that the Unjoni Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM) had also presented the same proposals to the government.

“When we complained we were told that no union has sole recognition over the proposals it presents and, as a result, discussions were held with both parties,” explained Mr Marsh.

He argued that this could not be a coincidence – “someone is trying to undermine the GWU with these manoeuvres.”

However things changed when the GWU found that the government had signed an agreement with the UHM on some of these same proposals.

Mr Marsh said that on 10 August, in an email to the Director General in the Health Division, John Cachia, the GWU put forward another proposal in favour of nursing aides.

“We received a short and terse reply from Dr Cachia informing us that our request was refused,” he said.

As a result, he added, the union had no choice but to show the government that it meant business.

The union replied to Dr Cachia’s email, telling him that it was a very short reply and requesting the reason behind the refusal, said Mr Marsh.

A petition was sent round the 680 nursing aides in Malta and Gozo and, of these, 463 signed.

He explained that, on Tuesday, the GWU filed a prohibitory injunction stopping the health authorities from striking any form of agreement with another union that represented a small fraction of nursing aides.

After the injunction was filed in court, Mr Marsh sent another email to Dr Cachia informing him of the union’s legal action.

“The directives have been in place for three months and several of our members have received threats from their work colleagues – this is unacceptable,” he said.

Furthermore, said Mr Marsh, high ranking public officials told a number of nurses that nursing aides would only receive what they wanted after the general election, and depending on who was elected.

“This is unacceptable as well,” he said.

“We are ready to continue discussions with the government on the original three proposals we had submitted,” said Mr Marsh.

Furthermore, he added, the directives would be withdrawn as soon as a date for a meeting was set.

“The union has always made the first step and now it is up to the government to take up our offer – the last meeting was held on 31 August,” he said.

Mr Marsh emphasised that nursing aides were there to assist nurses in washing patients.

“They have to assist nurses – it is the nurses’ job to wash the patients,” he said.

The section secretary also said that he found out that the government signed an agreement with the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses under which nurses would receive a maximum premium allowance of Lm1,250 until 2009.