The University of Malta Academic Staff Association has issued a series of directives to academic employees after negotiations with the government over a new collective agreement failed to yield progress. According to the association, academic staff have been instructed to refrain from organising or attending administrative or management-related meetings.

UMASA stated that the financial offer presented by the government fell significantly short of expectations. Although the association allowed an additional week for a revised proposal, no updated offer was submitted.

The dispute formally began in early November, when UMASA declared an industrial disagreement with the University of Malta due to the prolonged absence of substantive movement on a financial package. The association noted that this followed more than a year of waiting for a response to its financial requests.

The directives encompass all departmental, faculty, institute, centre, school, and other staff or board meetings. Nonetheless, bodies dealing with research ethics, recruitment, promotions, and retirement extensions are exempt from the measures.