Museum custodians in lightning strike

Custodians at St John's Co-Cathedral museum yesterday staged a lightning strike over a pay rise claim on the instructions of the media and services section of the General Workers' Union.

The union said the Co-Cathedral Foundation, which runs the museum, had failed to reply to its counter proposal on remuneration issues.

The union warned it would continue with its actions until the foundation implements what it had agreed to last year.

The union had told the foundation it would resort to industrial action unless reactions were sent by June 8. Last week the union registered an industrial dispute after the foundation refused to give part-time custodians a pay rise.

The union's section secretary, Karmenu Vella, went to St John's at 3 p.m. yesterday and ordered the part-time custodians and ticket operators present to go on strike. Full-time custodians also went out on strike in sympathy.

The union said that last October it had accepted the compensation offered by the foundation for part-timers who worked in excess of 20 hours a week on condition that the custodians' pay was increased.

But the foundation was still refusing to top up the custodians' salaries, the union said.