The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses warned today that it would step up industrial action at Mater Dei and Mt Carmel Hospital hospitals in reaction to 'intimidation of nurses'.

The union said it had given its warning in a letter to the Health Division.

Last Friday the Health Ministry said official letters were being sent to nurses involved in industrial action at Mt Carmel, warning them that they were violating the Industrial Relations Act by not providing essential services.

It said the nurses had been ordered not to administer medicines and treatment.

The MUMN said it would clarify its position at a press conference tomorrow.

The FORUM group of trade unions this morning declared its support to the MUMN, which is one if its members.

In a statement over the signature of John Bencini, Forum president, the grouping said it was a 'lie' that nurses had been directed not to administer medicines. This was only intended to cast the nurses in a bad light.

The FORUM said the MUMN was protesting because of a shortage of 550 nurses.

Despite such a serious shortage, the ministry expected nurses to leave their wards and to wait in the queues to collect medicines from the stores. In other European countries, the wards were supplied with their needs by people engaged for the purpose.

The FORUM hit out at the ministry's claim that the nurses' industrial action was illegal, and said that this perhaps explained why the draft collective agreement for government employees as presented to the unions, proposed changes which made industrial action practically impossible.

Rather than attacking the nurses, it would be better for the government to thank them for their hard work in very difficult circumstances, the grouping said.