UHM may increase industrial action at Mater Dei

Industrial actions at Mater Dei may be increasing on Friday, the Union Haddiema Maghqudin warned.

Action is currently being taken by nursing and paramedic aides, health assistants and care workers at the hospital's central sterile supply and medical imaging departments. The UHM is arguing the government had agreed to pay staff in the X-ray department and the sterilisation unit a yearly allowance of €1,150 that any workers in contact with patients were entitled to.

About 100 workers are claiming they were not being given this allowance. Their actions were criticised by the nurses' union as "unjustified" and "unethical" because, it said, they were interfering with the work of nurses to the detriment of many patients.

The union said today that some workers were also being denied staff meals. It said that it was holding a meeting for workers on Friday when other actions may be ordered.