Teachers step up industrial action

Teachers in state schools will not carry out any clerical work in connection with exams that start this week as their union stepped up industrial action to highlight they were not being paid for all the work they did.

Exam papers will be corrected and marks will be issued, however teachers will not be doing clerical work such as imputing the results into broadsheets.

The Malta Union of Teachers had been complaining about discrepancies in teachers' allowances compared to those of other civil service employees.

"Last week the government told us there were no anomalies between teachers' allowances and those of other civil servants. So we will ensure teachers only do what they are paid for," MUT vice president Kevin Bonello said.

"Over the years teachers' responsibilities have increased but they are not being compensated for this," he added.

During a union council meeting yesterday, the union decided to maintain 11 directives issued last week and add another two. Under the new directives teachers will not perform clerical work in connection with exams while kindergarten assistants, who do not receive allowances, will limit themselves to teaching work. They will not do anything beyond their pedagogical duties, such as filling in attendance sheets, Mr Bonello said.

In a statement issued yesterday morning the union deplored any attempt to undermine the union's legitimate directives as "reminiscent of the 1980s".

The union said it had been informed that the head of Ninu Cremona Secondary School in Gozo had been exerting undue pressure on his staff to attend a staff meeting. This went against the original set of directives.

Last week, the MUT issued an extensive list of directives as the stalemate with the government continued over the payment of allowances. Teachers were instructed not to distribute food to children, attend school council meetings, carry out college-based work or clean after students, among other tasks.

Last July, the Finance Ministry set up a team to look into the allowances issue and compile a report comparing the various civil sectors.

Last month the ministry informed the union it had found no anomalies in allowances given to teachers as compared to the rest of the civil service. In reaction to this the union ordered industrial action aimed at highlighting that teachers were not being paid for all their responsibilities.

On Friday the union declared it will be stepping up industrial action following what it called a "useless and futile" meeting with the Finance Ministry.