Updated: MUT declares dispute with Church schools

The Malta Union of Teachers said today that it had declared an industrial dispute with Church schools over the granting of leave linked to family-friendly measures.

The union said that after the head of St Joseph Secondary School, Sliema, refused such leave to a teacher, it requested the Church authorities to give their interpretation of the issue.

The teacher had applied for an unpaid four-year family career break, which is allowed under the collective agreement reached between the union and the Church authorities, a union spokesman said.

The union said it viewed the refusal by the head of school as a breach of the collective agreement.

The union said it wrote to the Church authorities several times over the issue but the matter had dragged for months without a reply.