Nurses and midwives deserve better treatment from the authorities, the MUMN contends.

Nurses and midwives are threatening to take industrial action next week if the government fails to make “serious counterproposals” on working conditions.

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said it had submitted proposals for a sectoral agreement for nurses and midwives but the government’s counter proposals never arrived.

The government was taking the union for a ride, general secretary Colin Galea told the Times of Malta yesterday, adding that although over recent months the MUMN was promised that they would meet, this meeting had not happened.

“During the election campaign, we were aware it was a busy time for the government. But now it’s been three months, and we still haven’t heard anything,” Mr Galea said.

The union, he added, kept requesting a meeting every week but was never told when that would take place.

“We keep being told we will soon have one, but this never happens. Nurses and midwives deserve better. They cannot be left in the dark any longer,” Mr Galea insisted.

The union has given the government a week to come up with “serious counterproposals” and would issue directives to members across the board if no appointment was made.

The Health Ministry said that discussions between the Health Department and MUMN were ongoing.

"Government is confident that if the same level of goodwill that has been shown so far from both sides is maintained, then an agreement can be reached in everyone's interest, not least in the interests of our patients."

The MUMN said that the directives would affect all nurses and midwives in all State hospitals, health centres and elderly facilities, both in Malta and in Gozo.

Mr Galea would not go into detail what sort of directives they would be but made it clear the union was not excluding anything.

Asked whether the directives could include strikes, Mr Galea said that was a possibility.

“We are not excluding anything, and we will even be considering striking, even if for two hours if necessary,” he said.

“Enough is enough, and both nurses and midwives deserve respect,” Mr Galea added, insisting that the union would no longer tolerate such an attitude from the government.