Paul Pace, who resigned from the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses last week, said that his ambition was always to form part of the MUMN. But he did say that if asked to fill a “challenging and interesting” government post he might accept it.

Interviewed by The Malta Independent, the former head of the nursing union said that he won’t pounce on any offer... if made.

He said: “I am not in a frame of mind to think about this since I am very hurt over what happened last week”, referring to the fact that he learnt from the media that he was not going to be re-elected.

“I was always a nurse by profession and involved in trade unionism, although I feel the experience I have gained in the recruitment of nurses and carers, may help in future.”

Mr Pace resigned his post as president on Saturday after nine years at the helm. He placed eighth in the election but told this newsroom that he noted an increase in votes in his favour when compared to the last election. He garnered over 800 votes.

He explained that a president is not elected on the basis of how many votes one gets. “It does not matter what placing a member ranks since the decision for an elected member to be made president is decided by the 10 elected council members themselves once the election is held.

“As long as you are one of those 10, you are in the race for president following a free-vote; there’s nothing in the MUMN’s statute that states otherwise.”

‘Shocked’ to learn from media who was to be made president

An evidently agitated Pace went on to explain why he actually resigned. He said that he was “shocked” to have learned, through a report published on Saturday, who was likely to be made new president, along with the placing of each candidate.

“In past elections, he explained, no such information was ever leaked to the media. “This is unprecedented,” he said.

“The election results were out in the media before the MUMN members met to discuss who was going to be made president.

In this case, he said, it seems it was already decided who will be made what.

“I am hurt over how I have been treated by my colleagues. It was stated as fact in the media and this jeopardised the process of a free-vote.”

He said that he did not bother to attend the meeting where it was to be decided who would be made president on seeing the Times’ report that same morning.

“I resigned due to the tactics used; the whole thing was rigged and the aim of leaking the ranking I placed in the election was to force my resignation,” he said.

He said that such information is only known by union officials only, implying it was his colleagues who leaked the information.

Pace speaks of anonymous letter to tarnish his repute

Mr Pace – who works in the Health Infection Control Department at Mt Carmel – was appointed for the first time as a member of the union in 1993. In the last eight years, he was elected president twice.

Questioned whether he tries to please both his members and the government at times, and whether this is what may have led to his ‘downfall’, he said: “I always worked in the interest of our members. I am known to be the fiery type and to issue many directives and this is why there may have been attempts to remove me.

“Decisions taken by a union president are normally popular ones but you cannot please everyone all the time,” he said.

Asked whether his son’s case – he was appointed to a position of trust and employed at St Vincent de Paule - may have contributed to his negative showing, he said that some people out there tried “to tarnish his reputation”, referring to reports which emerged in sections of the media on his son’s post.

“Never have the ministers or parliamentary secretaries put pressure on me to take certain decisions in turn for my son’s position of trust post,” he emphasised.

He highlighted that a letter was anonymously sent to members of the MUMN. The letter, seen by this newsroom, states that Mr Pace uses the media to threaten the government and at times also takes action on minor issues. It went on to say that Mr Pace also tried to take advantage of members of other unions by attacking their administrations so their members would feel that he was sticking up for them, in a bid to entice them to join the MUMN.

The letter also stated that Mr Pace personally uses a government car (Pace denied this), and that his son was given a government post.

Mr Pace said that it is evident someone has access to the database of the nurses and midwives to have got the addresses of the union’s members.

Pace to retain Forum presidency post

When he resigned his post as president of the MUMN, Mr Pace also resigned from his post as president of Forum. But Forum did not accept his resignation.

When asked by this newsroom if he would be changing his mind and staying on as Forum president, he said that he would be retaining his post.

Although he will not be representing the MUMN, Mr Pace can remain president of Forum. He made reference to John Bencini’s case who had retired as a member of the Malta Union of Teachers but still served as president of Forum.

Pace had identified nursing school for Malta

In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said that the government was to meet with the MUMN soon to discuss the shortage of nurses issue.While stating that the government will work in conjunction with the University of Malta to help address this issue, he said that in future, a nursing school would be identified to help boost nursing skills.

Asked whether he was involved in talks related to the nursing school, Mr Pace said that he had gone to Newcastle, along with a health ministry official and held talks with the Northumbria University. He said that the school showed interest in setting up shop in Malta. “This is the nursing school the minister speaks of,” he said.

Government’s proposed €200m health plan

Mr Pace said that he was the first one to state that Mater Dei was 500 beds short. “Everyone looked at me as if I said something out of this world at the time.

“Any statement you make in this country is spun politically. It is very convenient to discredit the person but not the argument. Now it has been established that we need 500 more beds,” he said.

“I have nothing against medical tourism but unless the private contractor is not bringing their own complement of nurses, this will create tougher challenges for us nurses to deal with,” Mr Pace said.