Last week, everyone was complaining about the bout of bad weather that hit our islands and the damage caused by such downpour. A few days later, the sun shone out over the island and the gloomy weather has already been forgotten. If only the problems faced by workers faded away as swiftly as the rainy days.

The workers of the Medicines Authority are currently facing a time of gloominess, and unlike the weather, there is no warm sun peaking through the thick black clouds. In 2010, the UĦM had submitted proposals to the Medicines Authority for the new collective agreement; two years later we are still waiting for decent counter-proposals from the Public Administration Collective Bargaining Unit (PACBU). In the meantime, the workers are left on hold, waiting for their work conditions to be improved. The UĦM has been doing its utmost to help these workers but the Medicines Authority and the PACBU keep dragging their feet.

Since the requests by the UĦM to the Medicines Authority and the PACBU for tangible counter-proposals have fallen on deaf ears, the UĦM had no other choice but to initiate industrial action by instructing the workers not to answer telephones, reply to emails and faxes and also not to do any communication work related to the processing of applications, inspections, licensing and collection of fees. The decision to initiate industrial action is never taken lightly; in this instance the workers’ rights had to be safeguarded and no effort was shown by the Medicines Authority to avoid these industrial actions.

These workers and all other workers going through a similar situation should not be ignored and deserve to be treated with respect. The workers of the Medicine Authority deserve a decent collective agreement that reflects their responsibility and expertise. After all, the workers are a big chunk of the authority’s success!

■ Edwin Balzan

Vice-President

UĦM