The Malta Union of Teachers has written to the Principal Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, expressing deep concern about the recent ad hoc agreement with the Medical Association of Malta which, it said, has led to “an injustice” with the education class.

The MUT believes that the agreement with the MAM, under which medical staff will be receiving hefty salary rises, has upset salary scales in the public service.

It said yesterday it wholeheartedly agreed with an improvement in conditions and remuneration of all categories of workers when new circumstances were at play warranting such adjustments.

“In the circumstance, the union has no other option but to ask that this principle is also applied to the education class who, like the medical profession, is also facing major challenges and reform.”

The MUT pointed out that during negotiations with the government leading to the signing of the state education reform agreement last July, it had always been told that an increase in salaries was not in the offing as the government and unions representing employees in the public service were already bound by an agreement covering years 2005-2010.

“The MUT considers the ad hoc agreement with the MAM as having changed the elements at play in the local field of industrial relations,” it said pointedly. It added it believed that for justice and equity to prevail, recognition of the special circumstances operating in local education, due to reform, ought to be taken into account just as the special circumstances brought about by the new hospital have been given due recognition through an ad hoc agreement covering salaries and remuneration.

In its letter to the OPM, the MUT requested the Principal Permanent Secretary to take cognisance of “this anomalous situation” and that remedial action be taken to address the “arising injustice with the education class”.