Update 3: Dalli - MUMN agree to hold further talks
(Adds joint ministry-union statement)
Social Policy Minister John Dalli and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) have held a meeting on the current shortage of nurses and have agreed to meet again next week, sources said. Directives for industrial action by nurses remain suspended.
The meeting was held shortly after the minister said he would not meet the union while industrial action was in progress, but was ready to meet its officials within five minutes of the directives being called off.
The union promptly suspended its directives. It is demanding government action to increase the number of nurses, among other demands.
The Social Affairs Ministry and the MUMN in a joint statement said that the 90-minute meeting showed that the two sides shared the common interest of improving the health service.
They decided to set up a committee headed by Mr Dalli to tackle the various issues raised by the union so that solutions could be achieved.
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George Douglas
Nov 22nd 2008, 12:50
I dont know why in this country , strikes are seen as illegal. If these nurses where promised something and didn,t have it they have every right to strike. Then Mr.Dalli come out withe the emotional story of patients suffering due to this strike. Don,t make me laugh, patient are suffering cos of the lck of nurses .
M.Bezzina
Nov 21st 2008, 17:44
While I thank very much the postiive comments towards nurses please bear in mind that the Nurse is the only profession that stays with the Patient 24hrs/7days a week. No one else more than the nurse you will find in hospital in the world stays those hrs.However the Multi-disciplinary team i.e Consultants-Doctors-Nurse-Physios .................. putting all these together will result in providing the best rehab a patient can have.Without 1 of these professionals it is a flopp. It is a mistake to say that without Drs, nurses and physios or Occupational therapists it is the same or you can afford to have 1 less.no.Its like just a cake if you have a missing ingredient the taste will be different .Thats all!!
And thankyou for those who respect us!!After all we are trying to have the best service thats why the actions are done!!Unfortunately yes it has to be these things that will help the authorities to return to talk as they did!!
Michael Neville Cassar
Nov 21st 2008, 06:31
Just talk talk. Stop being taken for a ride.talk talk. GET OUT STop.
sav mifsud
Nov 20th 2008, 23:48
Few hints how to reduce patients for Emergency or Outpatient Depts: 1) use more health centres ie clinics 2) open the main centres and install x-ray machines; 3) clients very often go to Mater Dei with a note from clinics because they need an x-ray 4) more staff 5) empower the lower grades staff and promote them by sending experiencesd staff for courses and then assessed 6) minor injuries should be excluded frombeing admitted to Mater Dei 7) adverts to encourage the public to use the medical centres and hospitals politely as the staff needs to be respected 8) better incentives for the staff so as to encourage them to enjoy their work.
Just a few notes since if you start commenting on health care one never stop.
michael fenech
Nov 20th 2008, 21:06
@ Francesca Abela and all the others,
Don't you think that when you have nurses working 60 and 70 hours a week the patients are not suffering ??????
If you don't know, the only reason they are taking this action is because of the shortage of staff.
So the way I see if the patients are suffering is because of Mr. Dalli and nobody else.
Margaret Vella
Nov 20th 2008, 19:22
@ A. Vassallo
Oh yes it was a failure! There's no other way about it. Incredibly long waiting time in Casualty, illogical layout of wards, acute shortage of medical staff (including nurses and doctors), outdated tiles (many of which are already showing significant wear and tear)....I could go on and on...
Manuel Mifsud
Nov 20th 2008, 18:43
I urge the government to take necessary steps to increase the number of nurses at Mater Dei and in other state hospitals. Then, as soon as possible, it should give the justified increases in salaries. I hope that during the current talks between Hon. MIn. Dalli and MUMN an agreement will be reached for the benefit of all of us.
Joe Borg
Nov 20th 2008, 17:21
not to mention little things such as how difficult is it to take a day of leave when its not possible to find someone to replace you... immagine how would you feel if for four years in a row you cannot join family in xmas celebrations because you're either working night shift or day shift.., just because of the lack of staff. People sending negative comments against nurses are just showing the lack of respect the profession has..
btw, i'm not a nurse but know people who are. just wanted to say you have all my respects guys and fully support your cause.
D.Borg
Nov 20th 2008, 16:54
I would like everyone to please note that the nurses' pay is very miserable for the job that nurses do (ie. save people's lives), as compared to other professions such as those in banking, accountancy, ICT. Additionally, nurses work 12 hour shifts, weekends, nights, public holidays. Nurses have to be alert (for 12 hours) for signs and symptoms that may reflect deterioration in the patients' health, and if these are detected at a late stage, the patients may die. Those of you who think that the nurses' job is just taking care of the patients' hygiene is utterly wrong. No wonder there is a shortage of nurses on the island with such a miserable pay and a wrong attitude towards the nurses. Also, please note that nurses have to work overtime to maybe get a half-decent pay. Thank You.
Mario Fleri Soler
Nov 20th 2008, 14:21
I think what Mr.Dalli should ask to himself is 1) Why do pts wait all those hrs in emergency? 2) Why do ppl have to wait AGES for an ortho. or eye operation? 3) Why are ppl not using Health Centers rather than using the Emegency dept. 4) Why are many nurses leaving the govt. sector? 5) Why do ppl have to stay in the day care unit as in pts rather than normal wards? ...I think these are the points Mr.Dalli and Co. should address rather than insulting nurses and trying to be funny!
Mario Fleri Soler
Nov 20th 2008, 14:21
I got shocked when i read such article & more shocked when reading some of the comments. If Mater Dei was such a success...can Mr.Dalli explain to us why from the opening till today MANY & i say MANY experienced nurses including myself (10yrs experience in emergency) left Mater Dei to go & work elswhere?? Did Mr.Dalli & co. ever bothered to see why these nurses are leaving to go elswere (either private hosp. or abroad?) moreover Mr Dalli seems to be unaware that 1)Health ins. DOES NOT cover normal births (in the past ppl prefered to pay from their own pockets rather than using SLH, 2) it is VERY NORMAL that PPL tend to use something NEW 3) There was an increase of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BIRTHS......& if Nurses have such an easy job why dont you become a nurse at the first place & get a secure job? There are 180+ shortage of nurses so you should get a job in the instance!!
R. Azzopardi
Nov 20th 2008, 12:56
I agree 100% with M Bezzina altough I do not work in Mater Dei I know that nurses and midwives work hard to keep patients feel home while they are for a treatment in Mater Dei. For some peolple nurses are just there to wash the patients and give them food and treatment, but the role of a nurse is far more complicated then that.
M.BEZZINA
Nov 20th 2008, 12:32
I think those people who are not working at mater dei better not comment on nurses and midwives. we are not asking for an increase in salary even though our pay is miserable compared to other jobs. In my ward were i work we are 6 nurses less and the job still need to be done and no one pays me more for this!!!
Claudia Borg
Nov 20th 2008, 12:32
Since when workers do not have the right to strike or to take industrial action? This arrogant attitude of the government cannot go on. It's Mr. Dalli who is the cowboy here. Unions have a RIGHT to make demands for better conditions/wages ect. It is their job. If the government takes its workers and their work for granted, then it has every right to call on a strike to show the importance of their work and the reasons for their demands. Yes, service users will suffer. But really, is it the fault of the union, or the uncompromising attitude of the government that is to blame. Which is the action, or rather inaction, that is triggering off the strike in the first place?
Tony Cilia Pisani
Nov 20th 2008, 12:16
Yes the parties should meet. At the end of the day it is always the taxpayer who suffers.....however why all our politicians, especially the ones in power, ALWAYS without fail allow situations to come to the very edge, thereby bullying each other and await who breaks first.......no wonder we can never finalise matters at the onset and avoid such cowboy tactics.
Get going and get the house in order......we deserve better!!
Manuel Mifsud
Nov 20th 2008, 12:10
A government that listens.....A government ready to reach a compromise.....
A government that knows how to govern even though it never claimed to be infallable.
If negative comments are meant to convince the floaters, they won't, particularly if they are so biased!
A. Vassallo
Nov 20th 2008, 11:55
@ Margaret Vella
Why are you being so negative?
Have you any proof whatsoever to substantiate your statement, that is, when the minister said that "the new hospital had been a bigger success than anticipated" he was saying the complete opposite of things. Does that mean, according to you, the new hospital was a failure?
R BEZZINA
Nov 20th 2008, 11:49
@Joseph Aguis
Why irresponsabile union?
Because they are asking for things that they were suppose to have long tome ago.
Joe Borg
Nov 20th 2008, 11:44
@Joseph Agius - not an irresponsible union but one which has developed an aura of arrogance after being pampered by succive spineless administrations. Ask about the 46 hours premium and you will find most of the additional hours are actually overlap between different shifts - get the drift.
Now that they found a minister who stands up to them they are throwing their toys out of the prams. They are sooo considerate that they will strike if they get trained operating theatre assistants who would simply do the mundane chores and running about that wastes their time. But nooo we need to emply more nurses to do these non-nursing duties.
Solution: transfer the nurses in the outpatients to the wards and get less paid clerks to do the clerical work they effectively do.
G.Mangion
Nov 20th 2008, 11:26
@ MUMN
Minister Dalli Is right !! Stop NOW !!
Flimkien kollox posibbli.
J. Tonna
Nov 20th 2008, 11:24
WELL DONE MINSITER DALLI.
For quite some time no minister met unions while they were on strike action.
@ Margaret Vella - Let those who have eyes to see and those who have ears to hear.
Paul Xuereb
Nov 20th 2008, 11:19
Recent union successes seem to have gone to the MUMN's head. Should they be playing tough when those same patients whose tax payments are funding the nurses' and midwives' salaries are being made to suffer and in some cases have their lives put at risk? We all want them to get what they really deserve and will criticise the authorities if they do not get it, but they must realise that their actions are nothing but shocking.
Francesca Abela
Nov 20th 2008, 11:16
I think the action the MUMN is taking borders on the obscene. Never, but never, should the patients be made to suffer because of strike action. When there are problems with Unions, and this applies to ALL unions, but in particular the MUMN, every effort should be made by all parties, to sit down and discuss matters, all day and night if need be, until a solution is found. I repeat, never, never should patients be made to suffer. What kind of a conscience does one have to do this. Even if the persons involved in the strike may have valid reasons, they should never should resort to strike action. Maybe what some people need in this blessed country of ours is for government and state employees to work for a while with the private enterprise to see what discipline and being careful to retain your employment really means. I suppose the fact the being employed with government just gives one a 'take it for granted' attitude that the job is always guaranteed.
Sandra Azzopardi
Nov 20th 2008, 11:07
Did Mr. Dalli's ever ask why lots of experienced nurses are resigning from MDH and opt to work elsewhere? If things at MDH were so different from SLH one would think that nurses working with private entities would want to work at MDH but it seems that the opposite is occuring. Cowboy tactics?..... As if!
Joseph E Briffa
Nov 20th 2008, 11:03
Come on MUMN ..go for it! The ball is in your court now..The public will blame you for the inconvenience as the Minister is ready to meet you within five minutes of your lifting your actions. Obviously you can't expect the Authorities to meet you when you are taking strike action
Joseph Agius
Nov 20th 2008, 11:02
Just three words 'an irresponsible union'.
Frans Sammut
Nov 20th 2008, 10:41
Cowboy tactics?
Margaret Vella
Nov 20th 2008, 10:39
"He said the new hospital had been a bigger success than anticipated" ....!!!!!
yeah of course...! Don't you just love politicians. They manage to say the complete opposite of things, and say it with a straight face!