Paramedics employed in the public sector resumed their usual work routine yesterday after their union suspended industrial action ordered a month ago.

The industrial action was only suspended, not lifted, which means it could be reintroduced at any time

This followed a “positive” meeting between union representatives and the Finance Ministry on Monday.

The issue revolved around the paramedics’ salary package in the new sectoral agreement being negotiated.

Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin president Jesmond Bonello said that, at Monday’s meeting, the government submitted its proposals and the union made its counterproposals.

The government was now evaluating the union’s stand and another meeting was scheduled for Friday when, Mr Bonello said, he hoped the negotiations would be finalised “and reach an agreement in everyone’s interest”.

He stressed that the industrial action was suspended not lifted, which meant it could be reintroduced at any time.

At the end of June, 800 paramedics, including physiotherapists and laboratory technicians, were instructed among other things not to carry out community work or use any means of communication. This excluded emergency cases.

The union is demanding a revision of the sectoral agreement to improve working conditions and salary package.

It wants paramedics’ salaries to be increased by a scale.

Earlier this month, the health and finance ministries slammed the UĦM over the dispute, saying the union had raised the paramedics’ expectations to levels “which cannot be met” while putting patients’ health at serious risk.

The union insisted this was not the case and that the government could afford to pay the paramedics the salary they deserved.