Lecturers approve collective agreement

University of Malta and Junior College academic staff yesterday approved a draft collective agreement, ending their long-drawn dispute with the government. The agreement was approved by a large margin following a three-hour extraordinary meeting, with 191 of the 225 members present voting in favour, 30 against and four invalidating their vote. The draft was presented to members by the University of Malta Academic Staff Association (Umasa).

The deal comes after three days of intense discussions between Umasa, the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and the university in the presence of the director of the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations, Noel Vella, who acted as a mediator.

Details of the agreement could not be obtained yesterday but it broadly tackles working hours, intellectual property rights for research carried out at the university and improved wages, which was the main bone of contention in the dispute.

Umasa president Victor Buttigieg said the union was very satisfied with the agreement.

"It is a very wide ranging agreement and the members realised that it was very positive," he said.

The draft agreement will now be presented to the university council for its approval and then signed. The conditions in the agreement are retroactive to January 1.

MUT president John Bencini too expressed the union's satisfaction at the approval of the draft agreement.

"We expected the approval of the agreement which, among other things, will bring about a substantial increase in the lecturers' pay," he said.

The draft agreement is a clear reflection of the government's appreciation of the important work carried out by lecturers and academic staff, said Mr Bencini.

"The draft agreement will bring about a great change for the university as it will allow it to fulfil its role in the today's times," he said.

The impasse over the lecturers' wages between Umasa and the government dates back to last summer. The union had recently directed academic staff not to issue exam results but talks had restarted when the order was lifted, following a protest rally by students. Umasa also asked lecturers last December to boycott committees, sub-committees and senate meetings, to stop work on the introduction of new courses, not to hold exams in January and not to publish assignment results until further notice.