The industrial action ordered by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, which had entered its third week, was suspended yesterday.

After trading harsh words in statements issued earlier, the MUMN said it will be presenting the government’s proposals to its members, for approval or otherwise, in an extraordinary general meeting. Until that decision is taken, the directives are being suspended.

The union is at loggerheads with the government over a new collective agreement for the sector.

The government is saying that it has presented good proposals that will improve the salaries and conditions of the workers, even going beyond what the MUMN was expecting.

The union is insisting that it is not enough, and three weeks ago issued a set of directives – suspended as from today – which affected the operations in the medical sector. The directives were in effect at Mater Dei Hospital, Mount Carmel Hospital, Primary Care Department, Karin Grech Hospital, Gozo General Hospital, St Vincent De Paul home and other elderly homes.

In its plight to obtain better conditions, the MUMN is banking on two important factors: it is reminding one and all about how its members were labelled as heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nurses were at the forefront in the battle against the virus, risking their lives especially at times when the disease was in its infancy and no vaccination was available. Now, the union believes, it is compensation time and the staff should be rewarded for what they did.

The second factor is the recent judgment with regard to the three hospitals which had been passed on to the private sector, a deal which has now been rescinded. The government spent (or wasted, depending on one’s point of view) €400 million in what has now been described by a judge as a “fraudulent” deal. The argument, on the MUMN side, is that if the government has so much money to squander, its members should get something from it.

One important issue that needs to be factored in is the shortage of nursing staff. So much has been said about this but, in spite of all the efforts made, there is always a need for more nurses – both because the population is increasing sharply and so the demand is growing, and also because nurses are leaving the demanding profession.

The government asked for some kind of conciliatory approach to bring the sides closer to each other. The union is now putting the matter before its members for them to decide on the way forward.

In the three weeks of industrial action, patients were the worse off. A stay in hospital is always a stressful time, both for the patients and their families, and being there when there is industrial action adds to the burden.

And although nurses continued to offer the necessary care to the patients, the fact that they were following directives did not make it easier for them either.

As usual, in such cases, a compromise needs to be reached for a long-term solution to be found. A step forward was made yesterday when the union announced that it is suspending its directives. Let us hope that it is the first step towards a lasting agreement.

The country needs a medical sector that is functioning to the best of abilities.