UHM directives 'directly harmful' to MCAST students

The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) is calling on the Union Haddiema Maghqudin to withdraw its "unacceptable and illegitimate" directives to non-academic workers since they are "particularly and directly" harmful to students.

The UHM and MCAST are in dispute over demands for an improved financial package.

MCAST, which has also filed a judicial protest, said that with the support of the Central Bargaining Unit it was willing to guarantee that - if the union proposed a basis for agreement - it would ensure that workers involved would be employed on indefinite as opposed to fixed-term contracts.

This agreement would offer a scale of salaries and benefits comparable to those of similar institutions and the civil service.

However, MCAST could not consider granting arrears backdated to 2005 or 2006, as the union was requesting, since this was not Government policy and there was no justification for the request.

MCAST is insisting that the union withdraws all directives which affect students in one way or another.