The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the Malta Union of Teachers yesterday reached an agreement on the way forward over a number of issues that have been a source of friction for weeks.

Following a four-hour meeting yesterday in the presence of the director of labour and industrial relations, the two sides signed an agreement and will now start working on a new collective agreement for the college staff, MUT president John Bencini said.

The two sides agreed that staff members who had been forced to register as self-employed will become part-timers and staff promotions will be granted according to the system outlined in the current collective agreement (that expired last year).

They also agreed that learning support assistants’ salaries, which the union considered “unjust”, will be revised and possibly changed before the new collective agreement comes into force.

The clash between the union and the college led to a two-hour strike last week. The union had also issued other directives on Monday, including for another strike that was to be held last Friday, but withdrew them after the two sides agreed to meet yesterday.