The Malta Union of Teachers said it is deeply preoccupied with the continued impasse on the finalisation of the collective agreement for the academic staff at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS).

The MUT had registered an agreement with the management of ITS on the way forward, during a conciliation meeting chaired by the Director of Industrial and Employment Relations. However, the Education Ministry “has elected to veto the agreement reached during the conciliation meeting,” the MUT said.

Due to the serious foregoing circumstances, the MUT has no other alternative but to issue further directives to the academic staff at ITS.

As from Monday, all the academic staff is to refrain from performing any extra hours in addition to the normal teaching load established in the current collective agreement during normal working hours.

Academic staff are also being reminded not to submit any examination papers for the first semester examinations. Further, the academic staff is being directed to continue to abide by the “work to rule’’, as already instructed by the Union.

The MUT would like to emphasise that the above directives are not in any way aimed at the management of ITS. The MUT reiterates that it has found full cooperation from the ITS management during negotiations and in the conciliation meeting, wherein a workable solution was finally arrived at to the satisfaction of both parties. Regrettably, the consensual solution did not meet with the ministry’s approval.

The MUT had already ordered industrial action early last month.