Talks between the Malta Union of Teachers and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology are expected to continue today in a bid to resolve the ongoing dispute over the new collective agreement.

Two weeks ago the union directed lecturers not to perform any duties apart from delivering lectures.

Mcast students have appealed to lecturers to take into consideration the effect that this industrial action was having on their studies and find other ways to negotiate their demands.

Contacted yesterday, union president John Bencini said talks are expected to continue today. The MUT council met yesterday evening following meetings with the college representatives but did not reach any conclusion.

The dispute revolves around the collective agreement covering January 2007 to December 2010.

Students are worried about the impact the directives will have on their studies, with one of their main concerns being that, if assignments remain uncorrected, they will not know where they stand on the eve of exams.

Students who spoke to The Times yesterday complained that they had no idea how they had performed in their assignments, and whether they were on the right track before sitting for the annual examinations.

Another concern is that, if the industrial actions persist, students might have to sit for their exams or work on assignments during the summer recess. Contacted yesterday, Students Council president Cladonia Scerri said the college administration had taken the responsibility of correcting assignments if certification depended on them.

Lecturers were not giving students fresh assignments, Ms Scerri said.

A group of final-year secretarial students voiced concern that they would not receive their certification - which they need to find a job - because of the dispute.

During a meeting with the college administration last week, the Student Council requested that all assignments be corrected and no certification be delayed or withheld as a result of the industrial action.

The council asked that students be given enough time to compensate for the time lost and that all those who attend lectures receive their maintenance grant.

A first-year secretarial student yesterday said attendance for lectures had dropped since the directive came into force because lecturers were not keeping an attendance sheet, placing the onus on the students to ensure their attendance was recorded.

College principal and chief executive officer Maurice Grech said yesterday he would rather not comment as he did not want to jeopardise negotiations.