Friday, 10th October 2008 - 14:27CET
MEA warns against 'excessive' increases to university lecturers
The Malta Employers’ Association said today that it has warned the government and the MUT that excessive increases in the remuneration packages of academic staff at the University will create labour market distortions and lead to similar claims in both the private and public sector which many companies, and the public sector itself, cannot entertain.
“The negotiations cannot be based exclusively on a comparison between what academics earn locally and abroad, but should also take into consideration the relativities between the academics’ package and that of other professions in Malta. The exorbitant claims that are being made are far removed from the realities of the Maltese labour market,” the MEA said.
“During a time of international recession, when the man in the street is expected to feel the pinch on his purchasing power, an agreement that doubles the remuneration package of a particular group of employees will create a justified uproar from the rest of society. The discussions should also factor in the fact that the budget allocation for the University is not just there to pay salaries, but also to improve the facilities that are necessary for better academic standards.”
The association appealed to the government and the unions involved to reach a settlement that respects the value of the lecturers’ work and contribution to society, without turning them into a privileged class.
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Comments
All government employees, yes the whole population gets a small pay rise every year so it is only fair that the teachers get their share as well. The government invested more than a billion Euros in the dry docks which do not have a future and then when it comes to things which are actually important then they are out of money. After all these teachers train the future elite of Malta - which in the end are our future.
Lets save money when it comes to Ministers cars, police escorts and god knows how much more money is wasted on a daily basis and invest it there where it really counts.
Nahseb int tikkuntenta jekk l employer tieghek ma jatikx an agreement of work for 5 years, hux hekk? And you will be really happy to negotiate a new agreement for the next 7 years whereby you're only given peanuts. Right? So let these ppl negotiate their needs and I say their rights as well. Gov has a responsibility here and no matter what cikku il poplu say, he has to focus on attaining excellence in Education, specifically in the highest institution of the country. Mohhok hemm Gonzi/Fenech...don't be shabby on this too!!
So your opinion of lecturers is so low that you think that you can do better without them. I don't think that someone like yourself should comment on the topic, you're showing that you don't know what they're talking about and that you don't care less whether our children will have the opportunity of becoming professional ppl. Are you one of those that still preach the numerus clausus song or that we only need technical ppl and no professionals?
@ Mr. Borg..... not many local teachers opt to teach abroad (unlike Maltese doctors and other technical professions) Abroad teachers are seriously held accountable... and not... in the worst of cases.... shifted from one school to another. If, year after year, your students perform badly then you're out.
No amount of PhDs makes you a good lecturer... it simply proves that you're an excellent academic.
Speaking for the UK.... students hailing from a low income family get a grant for tuition and accommodation. Students in Scotland have free tuition.
In any case, one has to approach this situation holistically. Malta is Malta...... not Germany, not the UK and not the USA. Nobody I know gets the same salary for a like-for-like job in these countries.
P.S. I am not an academic, I am a layman with an interest in economics.
In Malta it seems, only the MEA and MHRA (who not long ago issued a similar statement) are allowed to pertain to the 'privileged' class. Others they think, must fall in line and serve them.