The MUMN this afternoon hit out at the European Union's call to Malta to raise the retirement age and said the the European Commission has become a laughing stock and total detached from the reality and poor conditions of the workers.

"Recommending or pressuring governments such as the Maltese Government to raise the retirement age shows clearly that the bureaucrats sitting in Brussels want to add more hardship to our Maltese workers," the union said.

It said it could not understand how anyone could  work as a nurse when over 65 years of age.

"Brussels ought to know that although people are living longer, that does not imply that they are getting any stronger," the union said.

"If MUMN is to accept any further increase in retirement age for nurses and midwives, nurses and midwives will end up working with catheters, wounds and other body ailment just as our patients," it said, saying that even young nurses went home tired and mentally exhausted after a day's work.

It said Brussels should more recommend action against tax evasion,   taxation of luxury goods such as swimming pools and expensive cars and yachts as to make pensions more sustainable.