Free childminding services for toddlers could be negatively impacted when several employees leave at once. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

A call for childcare assistants will be made today to compensate for a potential shortage of personnel, an Education Ministry spokesman told The Sunday Times of Malta.

He was reacting to a report in Times of Malta revealing that as many as three quarters of childcare assistants employed at State childcare centres were expected to leave next month.

Teacher’s union president Kevin Bonello had said that “miserable” conditions were forcing childminders to seek alternative employment and talks to resolve the situation were at a standstill.

The spokesman, however, denied that working conditions were a factor in employees’ decisions to seek alternative employment, adding that the government was confident there would be no staff shortages.

“This is definitely not because of sub-standard conditions but [some are seeking alternative employment] in order for people to take one step up in their careers,” the spokesman said, adding that many centres currently enjoyed a full staff complement.

Some 84 childcare assistants are employed at the 13 government centres spread across the island, caring for hundreds of children below the age of three.

Mr Bonello said he had received several complaints related to the employees’ wages, with many claiming to be paid less than part-time Skolasajf workers.

The spokesman insisted, however, that childcare assistants could not be compared to the Skolasajf employees as they worked around 10 hours more every week.

Mr Bonello had also complained of erratic shifts, with irregular starting times that had not been the case until a few months ago. But the spokesman said the conditions imposed on childcare assistants were all in line with the law – and not at all “miserable” as they had been labelled.

Many of the employees are trained kindergarten assistants and applied for openings ahead of the February pupil intake.

Others have applied for positions as Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) in search of better conditions.

Yet the spokesman reiterated that the government was “confident there will be no staff shortages”.

Although the union has received several complaints, talks to resolve the situation are not able to continue as the union does not yet officially represent the workers.

Mr Bonello said an application to unionise the workers had not yet been processed by the authorities and talks could not continue until this was done.