Recently everyone was complaining about the thunderstorms that hit our islands and the damage they caused. A few days later, the sun came out and the gloomy weather was quickly forgotten. If only the problems faced by workers faded away as swiftly as the rainy days.

The workers of the Medicines Authority are currently facing a time of gloom and, unlike the weather, there is no warm sun peeking through the thick black clouds.

In 2010 the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin submitted its proposals to the Medicines Authority for the new collective agreement.

Two years later we are still waiting for decent counter-proposals from the Public Administration Collective Bargaining Unit (PACBU).

In the meantime, the workers are left on hold, waiting for their conditions to be improved. The UĦM has been doing its utmost to help these workers but the Medicines Authority and the PACBU keep dragging their feet.

Since the UĦM’s requests for tangible counter-proposals have fallen on deaf ears, the union had no choice but to initiate industrial actions by instructing the workers not to answer telephones, reply to e-mails and faxes and also not to do any communication work related to the processing of applications, inspections, licensing and collection of fees.

A decision to start industrial action is never taken lightly; in this case workers’ rights had to be safeguarded and the Medicines Authority made no effort to avoid industrial action.

These workers and all other workers going through a similar situation should not be ignored; they deserve to be treated with respect. Employees of the Medicine Authority deserve a decent collective agreement that reflects their responsibility and expertise. After all, they make a major contribution the authority’s success.