Updated 12.30pm - Social workers also affected
No outpatients are being seen by ECG technicians in Gozo, while Mater Dei inpatients risk delays of up to four hours for ECGs, following an industrial action ordered by the nurses’ union.
The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses filed an industrial dispute over employment conditions offered to ECG technicians in October, but discussions stalled last week.
MUMN president Maria Cutajar said the union had started discussions on a sectoral agreement with the health authorities when it won recognition as the technicians’ representative last year.
The union wants ECG technicians to be treated similarly to other professions within the field, and have a career progression structure that would – among other criteria – be based on academic qualifications and experience.
ECG technicians at Mater Dei Hospital’s inpatient department will not do any paperwork or answer phone calls, pagers or e-mail messages
Ms Cutajar said that some 50 ECG technicians were affected by this lack of structure.
Last month, in a letter sent to the Health Ministry, the MUMN said its members were “very angry and disappointed” about the stance adopted by the government.
It had given the government until October 28 to accept the technicians’ demands or face industrial action. The action was called off when discussions continued, but no agreement was reached and the last meeting was held last week.
As part of the industrial action ordered by the MUMN, ECG technicians at the Mater Dei Hospital inpatient department will not do any paperwork or answer phone calls, pagers or e-mail messages.
ECGs will also be done after a delay of up to four hours at the same department, while at Gozo General Hospital, ECG technicians will only see paediatric outpatient cases.
Meanwhile, at Mater Dei’s emergency room, technicians will ignore PA system announcements.
ECG technicians at the Cardiac Lab will not prepare reports on any kind of tests, while at the Pacemaker Clinic, there will be no routine check-ups, except for patients awaiting imminent box changes.
Industrial action for social workers
Social workers not employed by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services including Appoġġ and Sedqa also started industrial action yesterday.
Affected workers are not taking phone calls from firms without a social worker assigned to them, are not accepting new referrals, following up on patients who miss visits, doing any mental welfare officer duties or doing any tasks assigned to support staff or care workers.
MUMN general secretary Colin Galea had already threatened this industrial action back in October, in a letter addressed to the government's director-general for people and standards Joyce Cassar.
Social workers employed by the public sector say discussions to sign a new sectoral agreement are taking extremely long, while working conditions "are worsening on a weekly basis".