Updated: MAM writes to PM, warns of 'major industrial action'

(Adds comments by Frank Portelli that patients have to come before politics)

The Medical Association (MAM) has written to the Prime Minister warning that it has been "inevitably pushed to order major industrial actions" in the health sector.

The warning was made days after half of Malta’s health centres remained unmanned by doctors for a day following a dispute about the shortage of doctors in the government clinics.

The dispute between the MAM and the government reached new heights on Thursday when association officials walked out of a meeting with Social Policy Minister John Dalli. Mr Dalli had presented the doctors’ representatives with options to keep all health centres open, including at night, using the present complement of 69 doctors.

This was interpreted by the MAM as the government going back on the agreement reached on Monday, which stated that the Gżira health centre would no longer operate during the night and that health centre doctors would only man two out of the Gżira, Qormi, Rabat and Cospicua clinics in the afternoon.

In its letter, the association said that last Monday it signed a formal agreement with the Ministry for Health and Social Policy which was not being honoured, with the result that trust and the fiduciary relationship between employer, employee and trade unions was being undermined. As a consequence this was fomenting militancy amongst trade unions in the health sector.

"Is this now formal government policy or is this just the policy of this particular ministry not to recognise signed formal agreements, and re‐attempt to renegotiate them after they have been signed and sealed?" the association asked.

It pointed out that the collective agreement for government employees clearly stated that for work schedules to be altered there was a mandatory six month period of discussions. On Thursday, Social Policy Minister John Dalli threatened MAM members at health centre that he would change their work schedule as from next Monday and publicly chastised MAM for upholding its member’s rights, the association said. Was this deviation from the government collective agreement a new government policy or something particular to the health ministry?

It said Mr Dalli has also publicly declared that an agreement had been reached with the St. James group of hospitals to deliver primary health services. As this contract would run into millions of euros, why was a tender not issued by the director of contracts? Was this part of official government policy to issue such large contracts without a tender or had there been a change in government regulation?

The MAM said that since the declaration of an industrial dispute, its members had faced an unprecedented wave on intimidation.

"Doctors obeying directives have received what was interpreted as an intimidatory letter from the director of primary health care. Furthermore members have been threatened by the ministry that they may be locked out of their place of work, and primary care farmed out to the private sector. MAM is now informed that the GP training scheme may be liquidated. Is intimidation now part of the Government of Malta’s industrial relations, or is it something specific to the health ministry?

The MAM said that the Maltese people expected public replies to these questions in the interest of safeguarding democratic principles.

MAM President Martin Balzan said he hoped this letter would serve as an eye opener to "whoever has abandoned democratic values, and the commitment to legality".

The MAM is expected to adopt directives for industrial action at an extraordinary general meeting called for next Tuesday evening.

PATIENTS BEFORE POLITICS - PORTELLI

In a statement, Nationalist EP candidate Frank Portelli expressed cocnern over the escalation of the dispute.

"Major Industrial action is a threat to the patients' health and cannot be justified before all other avenues have been exploited. We as doctors should put patients before politics – and we doctors should show compassion to our patients at all times - or risk being labelled as mercenaries and not as true professionals," Dr Portelli said.

He added that he expected that the MAM would do its duty and exploit all possible avenues to reach an honourable settlement with the government through discussion.

Solutions would not be achieved by major industrial action on the eve of an election and any threat to start major industrial action was likely to be interpreted as a political move, he said.

"The Prime Minister Dr Gonzi has already expressed publicly that his Government is ready to achieve a compromise solution through discussions with the Medical Association. I therefore encourage MAM to go back to the discussion table and seek a just solution," Dr Portelli said.