Professor Alex Felice and Dr Anthony Vella, Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) delegates, in a circular issued earlier this month to all academic staff members, stated that this is the time for all disagreements of the past to be considered bygone and to turn a new leaf so that all would work together for the benefit of the University and the academic staff.
This appeal for goodwill from all concerned came after the announcement of the Industrial Tribunal's long-awaited judgment on the claim made by the University of Malta Academic Staff Association (UMASA) in connection with the representation of all academic staff at the University.
The MUT delegates stated that the Industrial Tribunal's decision strengthens the position that the MUT has taken with respect to academic staff working in different sections of the University. The MUT looks forward with anticipation to the collaboration with UMASA.
This appeal for collaboration between UMASA and MUT was voiced several times in past months by a number of academic staff and repeatedly in commentaries published in this page. It was a pity that it required a long-drawn dispute in front of an industrial tribunal, such that the two unions had to have a strong recommendation from the learned tribunal for them to understand that what is needed in this case is collaboration.
UMASA was not granted its wish for sole recognition by the tribunal. The tribunal decided that with immediate effect UMASA must take part in all industrial discussions, whatever their nature, that take place between the University and MUT.
It is good that both unions welcomed this decision. The MUT felt the need to state that the MUT is proud of its record of standing up in the best interests of the academic staff of the University in the most difficult times when the very existence of the University and thus the interest of the academic staff, not to mention that of the nation, was threatened.
Since that time the MUT has worked arduously to improve salaries several fold, introduced new benefits such as the Academic Work Resources Fund, the academic allowance and the performance bonus. The MUT delegates stated that all this has been achieved for the benefit of all concerned.
This is all true but it must also be said that many were dissatisfied with the services given by the MUT and felt they should have an in-house union, hence the existence of UMASA. There are a number of reasons why MUT members were dissatisfied with its performance.
These included the fact that University academic members were forced to share their meagre work resources funds with their colleagues at Junior College. This was exposed in the evidence given by Professor Charles Farrugia, at the time Pro Rector of the University, who stated that he was chairman of the Academic Work Resources Fund (AWRF) between 1996 and 2004.
The Work Resources Fund consists of a financial grant given to academics of the University as "work resources", which would be used by University academics to improve their work. A sum of money is allocated from which one would be given funds to buy books, equipment like computers and to enable them to attend conferences.
The Work Resources Committee is composed of a chairman appointed by the Rector, four members nominated by Council and four members nominated by the MUT. In the early days of this allocation members of the Junior College were not entitled to allocations from this fund.
After a claim by MUT and a recommendation by Cabinet, the University Council asked the Work Resources Fund Committee to start setting aside a significant portion of the fund previously earmarked for University staff for staff of the Junior College. This action by MUT was looked at sceptically by a number of University academic members.
Other bones of contention are benefits that are given to civil servants in grades equivalent to those at the University but which are not granted to University academic staff. Directors in the civil service are allocated a car and expenses connected with a car allowance.
Heads of departments and professors at the University are given no such allowances. Yet they are expected to visit areas outside the University connected to their work, such as the industry and schools. The MUT failed to obtain the same allowances that civil servants benefit from.
One other area of great concern is that permanent secretaries have succeeded to obtain a waiver of the ceiling for their pension similar to that enjoyed by Members of Parliament. No such privilege is allocated to professors at the University and most shamefully not even to the University Rector.
MUT, and now also UMASA, should note the poor state of working conditions that exist at our University. While in many countries, University academics hold better conditions than civil servants, at our university the academic staff conditions of work have severely lagged behind.
One can only hope for better times to come now that the MUT and UMASA are joining forces for the benefit of the University and its academic staff.
Let us take a leaf from the messages of the union leaders and say 'let bygones be bygones' and remind the union leaders that enough time has passed. The University's academic staff cannot and should not be left waiting much longer for a decent agreement to be reached for a new work package.