A teachers’ strike for Wednesday was avoided while industrial actions were suspended in schools after the Government and the Malta Union of Teachers reached a basis for an agreement on a financial package for educators.
While negotiations will resume on the conditions of work, MUT President Marco Bonnici said that the increase will be more than 20%.
The agreement was reached during a conciliation meeting between both sides after the MUT ordered industrial actions.
Marco Bonnici said that the Government accepted the Union’s request that the salary increase of educators will be more than 20% in the coming five years.
“This is part of a whole agreement. We still have talks on the working conditions and on the whole package which is a sectorial agreement; we will do this immediately probably beginning tomorrow. When we have the whole agreement we will consult members – something we have been promising for months – when they give us their feedback we will have the basis for the go ahead to conclude the agreement”, Mr Bonnici stated.
As a result of the agreement, the MUT suspended the industrial actions with entered into force last week; and cancelled the one-day strike for next Wednesday.
Education Minister Evarist Bartolo described the agreement as the best one for educators in the education history in Malta.
“From the start, the Government was committed to an agreement. There was a situation where no one needed to force down any doors to enter, the door was open. I wanted that improvement in the working conditions and in earnings are implemented without hurting the profession”, the Minister added.
Minister Bartolo said that it is important that the strong improvement in earnings and work conditions reflect themselves in progress for students, while expressing hope that as a result more youths will enter this profession.
