(Adds joint ministry-union statement)

Social Policy Minister John Dalli and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) have held a meeting on the current shortage of nurses and have agreed to meet again next week, sources said. Directives for industrial action by nurses remain suspended.

The meeting was held shortly after the minister said he would not meet the union while industrial action was in progress, but was ready to meet its officials within five minutes of the directives being called off.

The union promptly suspended its directives. It is demanding government action to increase the number of nurses, among other demands.

The Social Affairs Ministry and the MUMN in a joint statement said that the 90-minute meeting showed that the two sides shared the common interest of improving the health service.

They decided to set up a committee headed by Mr Dalli to tackle the various issues raised by the union so that solutions could be achieved.

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