Teachers' strike going ahead - Ministry urges parents not to send children to school

A teachers' strike in government schools is to go ahead as planned tomorrow after a conciliation meeting between the government and the Malta Union of Teachers failed to register progress. The Minstry of Education this evening urged parents not to send children to school since their safety could not be guaranteed.

"The strike will go ahead as planned" MUT President John Bencini said after the meeting, which started at 5 p.m. and lasted almost three hours.

The Ministry of Education also acknowledged the failure of the talks, saying there would be no lessons in government schools tomorrow.

It said that since the strike applied to all categories of teachers, the children's safety could not be guaranteed. Although the schools would be open for those workers who go to work, the ministry said it was urging parents not to send their children. School transport will not be provided.

The strike is being held in protest at what the MUT says is the government's failure to negotiate an 'addendum' to a 2007 collective agreement.

The union demanded the addendum early in 2008, arguing that while it had been negotiating the collective agreement, the government had claimed that it could not improve its pay offer, only to then do so for other sectors, such as health workers.

The Education Ministry said it condemned the decision to strike, saying the MUT's decision was without valid reason. The union, it said, had made exaggerated demands after it had signed the 2007 agreement.

It however expressed gratitude for the work done by teachers and said it remained committed to further support them.

The strike was originally also to extend to Church schools, because of what the union said was foot dragging on the conclusion of a new collective agreement. But agreement was reached yesterday and the Church schools strike was called off.