About 100 nursing aides and care-workers began industrial action against the government yesterday, claiming they were not being given a yearly allowance they were entitled to. But their actions were criticised by the nurses' union as "unjustified" and "unethical" because, the union insisted, they were interfering with the work of nurses at the detriment of many patients.
A one-hour long morning strike was called by the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, which argued that the government had agreed to pay staff in the X-ray department and the sterilisation unit a yearly allowance of €1,150 that any workers in contact with patients were entitled to.
The industrial action was taken by nursing aides, health assistants, assistant care workers and paramedic aides and UĦM warned that if no solution was found things would worsen.
The union said the agreement was concluded more than a year ago but the Social Policy Ministry was doing its utmost to make sure it was not implemented while the management and directors of Mater Dei Hospital agreed with the union.
"We have waited a year and four months before calling this action, so do not think we are exaggerating," the UĦM said.
However, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said the UĦM had misinterpreted the agreement, arguing that the employees in question were not entitled to such an allowance.
MUMN president Paul Pace said the allowance was meant as an incentive to encourage nurses and aides to opt for clinical duties rather than clerical work. He said that without such a distinction everyone would apply for the easier administrative work.
In his view, "contact with patients" referred to treating patients in their beds, not taking X-rays or walking patients from one ward to another.
On the other hand, UĦM president Gejtu Tanti argued that such workers were given a number of training courses in patient care before migrating to Mater Dei, so one could not say they were not in contact with patients.
Mr Tanti argued that even those working in the sterilisation unit were indirectly working with patients because they had to clean used medical equipment.
But Mr Pace described the sterilisation unit as a "mass-production factory", which definitely had no contact with patients.
The UHM also directed the workers not to give any patient-related treatments in an attempt to prove their point.
Meanwhile, the MUMN issued a strong warning to the government that if it conceded to the UĦM's demands, the nurses' union would have no option but to ask for all nurses to be put on the same level. That would not only cost the government much more money but remove the incentive for people to opt for clinical work.
The UĦM said a number of paramedic aides were not being entitled to food at the hospital even though the government had promised this in "black on white" on their call for applications.
cperegin@timesofmalta.com