UHM orders action at Maltapost

Maltapost's delivery workers will not deliver registered letters and advertising mail as from today under a directive issued by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM).

The action follows the failure to reach agreement with the management in conciliation meetings.

Last Thursday the UHM registered an industrial dispute that was triggered three days earlier, on January 9, when the company asked delivery workers not to report for work due to bad weather.

The union's public entities section secretary, Jesmond Bonello, protested on hearing that the company was insisting on reducing the day from the workers' leave entitlement.

After meetings held with the company, the union registered an industrial dispute and called two conciliation meetings with the Director of Employment and Industrial Relations.

In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Bonello explained that the union will today go ahead with industrial action as planned as the conciliation meetings held between the union and Maltapost's management ended in deadlock.

Maltapost said that the UHM had withdrawn the industrial action directive to allow for further discussions. After the discussions failed, the director of labour suggested to both parties to take the issue to the Industrial Tribunal but the union refused this suggestion while Maltapost agreed, Maltapost said.

According to the collective agreement, the union is to give a 48-hour notice before resorting to industrial action, the postal company said.