Healthcare workers employed with Steward Health Care have called on the government to honour its promise and transfer them to the public healthcare system.

All employees who on 1 January of this year should have been transferred from Steward Health Care to the Government, have presented a petition in this sense to Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne. They are represented by UĦM Voice of the Workers.

The move was prompted by Government’s failure to honour this agreement reached in November last year to the detriment of these employees who are suffering an injustice on a daily basis, the union said.

“Steward’s employees are doing the same job as their colleagues on Government’s books, with the same patients, in the same wards, but have inferior working conditions including lower wages.”

In the petition, the workers ask when this agreement reached on 18th November 2020 would be implemented.

This agreement provides for their transfer with the Foundation for Medical Services with effect from 1st January 2021, and with the same conditions enjoyed by Government workers as from 1st January 2019.

The agreement also states that the years of service with Steward will be considered as having been made with the government when the transfer takes place.

The petition which was signed by all 44 professionals working with Steward was presented with a letter endorsed by UĦM CEO Josef Vella and Assistant Director Gian Paul Gauci who negotiated on their behalf.