The MUT this evening directed lecturing staff at MCAST to keep all assignment marks and examination results in their possession until the college "stops its abusive attitude and attacks against the union and its members".

The union called on MCAST to settle pending issues with immediate effect.

Most of the lecturers of all grades at Mcast this morning went on strike for two hours, between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. to protest against work conditions.

Following the strike, the union said it was considering another two-hour strike because it was disappointed at the way the college principal handled the strike.

MUT president John Bencini said teachers were forced to sign out before walking out of the school on strike and sign back in at 12.30 p.m. even through their one-hour break started at that time.

"I feel the principal wanted to make it hard for them to strike".

He said that throughout countless meetings with Mcast management, only one person turned up, and proposals put forward by union were shot down.

Today's strike was ordered after the union complained that no agreements were being reached on important issued some of which were etched in the collective agreement that expired last year.

But in another statement, MCAST president Joe Farrugia accused the MUT of misleading staff into believing that the pending issues were a result of procrastination by the management.

He noted that management had been asking the union for proposals for a revised collective agreement for more than a year. None had been sent as yet.

Mr Farrugia added that it was illogical for the MUT to create an issue out of the conditions of employment of the 12 Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) at MCAST, when the union was fully aware that conditions of employment agreed in their contracts of employment were being honoured.

This evening the MUT said it had declared a trade dispute on four issues: the conditions of work of LSAs, the forced self-employment of part-timers, delays in progression of lecturing staff and confusion over taxation status for part-time/overtime work.

"The MUT reiterates that MCAST is misleading its employees since these issues are long overdue.

"In fact, the MUT had drawn been drawing the attention of MCAST over these issues for a long time with no action being taken.

"The MUT sustains that these issues must be addressed immediately prior to the negotiation of a new agreement."

It said it could not enter into fresh negotiations when conditions of work emanating from an existing agreement were not honoured.

It deposited its draft for a new agreement with the director of Employment and Industrial Relations until the issues are settled.