The Malta Union of Teachers is irked at the government's failure to conclude a sectoral agreement regarding teaching grades and has registered an industrial dispute, the union said.

The MUT noted that it had sent its proposals to the government in September 2002 but these were rejected and the government did not present any counter proposals.

According to the public service collective agreement, the sectoral agreement had to be concluded by June 2003, the union said. The MUT said it was reserving the right to take the appropriate industrial action.

Contacted yesterday, MUT general secretary Joseph DeGiovanni said any action has to be ordered by the union's action committee, which meets whenever it is called by the union's president.

Mr DeGiovanni said that at present no decision on industrial action had been taken and the union was giving a chance to the authorities to present their proposals.

A spokesman for the Education Ministry declined to comment saying discussions were still ongoing and the Education Division had a scheduled meeting with the MUT next week.