Updated at 4.30pm with Mcast reaction
Weeks of talks and threats of industrial action have led nowhere in the stalemate at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, with the Malta Union of Teachers issuing a frustrated statement on Friday saying teachers would now go ahead with a strike.
Read: Mcast teachers' strike called off
"Following intensive meetings between the MUT, the Mcast management and the Industrial Relations Unit (IRU), it is clear that there is no willingness from the IRU to reach an agreement on how to give lecturers what they are due. This agreement expired more than a year ago and after long negotiations during this period, the IRU are using delaying tactics to stall negotiations in spite of reconciliation meetings," it said.
The union has issued fresh directives to teachers, which will come into force on Monday January 22, with a strike to be held between 10am and 12pm for Thursday January 25 and Friday January 26.
Mcast 'indignant'
Mcast reacted to news of the strike with ‘indignation and disappointment’, insisting that significant progress had been reached in the negotiations and that another meeting was scheduled for next Tuesday in agreement from both sides to proceed with the discussions.
It said that agreement had been reached on an increase in the maximum salary for all lecturers to the maximum level proposed by MUT for 2018, and on more flexibility in the core hour system, among other things.
Mcast was also offering to more than double the work resource allowance presently given to lecturers and offered a higher rate of payment for additional work carried out by lecturers.
It said it had also shown its willingness to continue negotiations on the teaching load of lecturers and other pending issues.
“Unfortunately it seems that Mcast students will now become victims of the internal politics within MUT which were the object of widespread media speculation over the last few days. Mcast appeals to MUT to suspend industrial actions once again so as to allow negotiations to continue and not to pander to elements within MUT who are using the internal tensions recently seen to push their own agenda.”