Social workers are leaving the profession because of “deteriorating working conditions”, the nurses’ union, which ordered industrial action on Monday, has said.
The move comes in the wake of another industrial action ordered by the Malta Union of Nurses and Midwives over the employment conditions of ECG technicians. As a result of the directives, no outpatients are being seen by ECG technicians in Gozo, while Mater Dei Hospital inpatients face delays of up to four hours.
MUMN general secretary Colin Galea said the union had discussions with the government last week about social workers, but no agreement was reached. Meanwhile, he added, work conditions were worsening on a weekly basis.
“New graduates are not being attracted because of the negative environment our members face at their place of work.
“The government is not sensitive enough to the continuous deteriorating working conditions of these employees who, in turn, are doing miracles to offer a decent service to their clients,” Mr Galea said.
The union has ordered members not to cover medical firms that do not have a social worker assigned to them and not to take telephone calls related to such firms. They were also instructed not to accept any new referrals, carry out any mental welfare officer duties or follow up on patients who fail to attend visits.
The social workers are also not taking any responsibility for tasks assigned to care workers or other support staff.
They have been ordered not to accept mentoring of students come next semester and not to carry out work at clinics beyond what they are usually assigned.
“The MUMN’s objectives, through the signing of a new sectoral agreement, were to introduce a decent working environment, offer a holistic service to our clients and incentivise these professionals with an enhanced career progression,” Mr Galea said. He added that, as a result of the lengthy process to conclude the talks, many social workers were leaving the profession and resigning from the service.
Earlier this year, the MUMN wrote to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, lamenting the shortage of social workers in public hospitals.
In May, the CEO of the Social Welfare Foundation warned MPs sitting on the Family Affairs Committee that too few people were interested in pursuing a career in social work. Alfred Grixti said only 138 people graduated as social workers from the university between 2011 and 2015. Of these, 73 were employed directly by the foundation.