Unions offer compromise in lecturers' pay dispute

The trade unions representing university lecturers have written to the Ministry of Finance offering a compromise solution to the current pay dispute.

John Bencini, general secretary of the Malta Union of Teachers, said the letter was sent this morning and a reply was still being awaited.

The ministry yesterday said it was not prepared to improve its offer and gave the unions up to noon today to accept the package.

Mr Bencini said the ministry's statement was shameful. Slamming the door in the face of the trade unions would not get either side anywhere, he said. Such an attitude was harmful to the university and the students.

He said that in their proposals, the MUT and the UMASA, the academic staff association, were trying to meet the government half way.

Mr Bencini said the government statement issued yesterday afternoon was deceiving and had sought to paint university lecturers as being greedy. The government had claimed that the wage increases which the unions had demanded would cost €140 million, but that, he said, was gross pay, including 35% tax. Performance bonuses were also included automatically, he said.

The MUT Council will be meeting this evening to discuss the way forward.