The collective agreement at the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) expired three years ago, and lecturers and educators at all levels within MCAST are still waiting and hoping that it will finally be concluded in the coming days, three years overdue, the Nationalist Party said Wednesday.

The negotiations surrounding this agreement should never have taken this long, as they have had consequences not only for teachers but also for MCAST students and their parents.

With just two days left before the ultimatum set by the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) for the Government to present the financial package as part of the MCAST collective agreement, the PN urged the Government to stop delaying and to conclude negotiations with the MUT as soon as possible for the benefit of all those affected by this issue.

At a press conference held outside MCAST in Mosta, Shadow Ministers Justin Schembri, Ivan Castillo, and Bernice Bonello explained that the PN has been closely following the crisis that has developed at MCAST over the past few years. This crisis has arisen because Robert Abela's Government has repeatedly demonstrated that it does not allocate enough funds to education. This is an unacceptable situation that has left thousands of students, lecturers, and other staff members victims of a Government that is unable to fulfil its obligations.

It is also unacceptable that negotiations have yet to reach a compromise because the government keeps insisting on having its way and does not truly believe in open dialogue.

Given this prolonged crisis, the PN said it expected the collective agreement to be finalised by the end of this week so that MCAST can operate as an educational institution should, without the disruptions caused by directives imposed due to the crisis created by Robert Abela and Clifton Grima, and which they have failed to resolve.

Shadow Minister for Education Justin Schembri highlighted how, over the past few years, this uncertainty has had an unprecedented negative impact on the educational experience of thousands of MCAST students. These students have been denied their rightful entitlement to a holistic education. He recalled that the Partit Nazzjonalista has met with hundreds of students and a large number of lecturers, participated in various protests, and consistently maintained that the focus of education should be learning. However, because the Government remained stubborn and even threatened to walk away from the negotiating table, the MUT had no choice but to continue with industrial action, leading to this critical week.

Shadow Minister for Social Dialogue Ivan Castillo reiterated the urgent need for significant reform within the Industrial Relations Unit (IRU), as it is clear that it lacks the necessary resources. He called for more open, transparent, and inclusive dialogue to prevent crises like the one at MCAST from recurring. He also pointed out that the Government even went so far as to threaten to take the MUT to the Industrial Tribunal at the start of the academic year. A move it later had to retract, as such action goes against the principles of social dialogue.

Shadow Minister for Youth Bernice Bonello stated that throughout this prolonged crisis, young people have been sidelined because the government became a hostage to its own promise to increase salaries for lecturers and other MCAST staff. She called on the government not only to finalise this collective agreement as soon as possible but also to provide clear direction on how affected students will be compensated for the ongoing disruptions. At the same time, the government and MCAST must clearly explain how the awarded administrative passes will be eligible for warrants where applicable, as the future of thousands of students cannot continue to suffer due to the Government's failures indefinitely.