UHM reaches deal

The General Workers' Union said yesterday it was suspending its talks with the Health Division over nursing aides, health assistants, care workers and assistant care workers, after the division concluded an agreement with the Union Haddiema Maghqudin over pending issues.

The GWU, which recently ordered the workers to take industrial action before calling it off to resume talks, claimed it had been kept in the dark about this agreement.

When contacted yesterday, Louis Marsh, the GWU's section secretary, said the union was not excluding resorting to other measures in order to make its stand.

Mr Marsh, however, would not be drawn on whether such measures would include further industrial action.

On August 10, the GWU had formally requested the Health Division to be recognised as the majority union in this dispute.

"The health division has had ample time to check which union represents the majority of these workers. The GWU has given the government until September 14 to come up with a definite answer on recognition," Mr Marsh said. According to the GWU, the UHM is the minority union representing nursing aides, health assistants and care workers.

According to a statement issued by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin yesterday, workers in these grades will be given the opportunity to progress in their career through sponsored courses as a result of an agreement it reached with the government.

The UHM said that during a meeting it had with Health Director General John Cachia, it was assured that care workers would start receiving their due allowance.

Agreement was also reached over the roster issue and the working hours of these employees, the UHM said.

Mr Marsh said that the Health Division had gone to the UHM over the issue of the premium allowance when the GWU had refused an offer of Lm150 for this allowance.

"This is a far cry from what the GWU had been calling for," Mr Marsh added.

The GWU is calling for a premium allowance for all those grades falling between nurses and hospital auxiliaries.

Industrial action by nursing aides, health assistants and care workers ordered by the GWU was called off on August 14 for the talks to go on after 12 days of industrial action when these categories were only carrying out food-related duties in hospitals and homes for the elderly.

The fear of two more weeks of action had been raised at one point when the GWU had said that no meetings could be held due to travel plans by GWU officials.

The negotiations had resumed after both sides laid down strict conditions for the talks to restart.