The nurses' union has placated concerns of politically-motivated transfers in the aftermath of Labour’s election victory and insists the redeployment of some of its members two days after the result was simply ill-timed.
The case goes back to last Tuesday, when two nurses and a midwife at Mater Dei Hospital were notified that they had been redeployed with immediate effect.
In a statement issued the following day, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses lashed out at the decision, saying that such "manoeuvres"” right after the Prime Minister’s call for unity were unacceptable.
Furthermore, it warned it had issued an industrial directive to the three affected employees, who were instructed to ignore the transfer order. The union added that it would be seeking legal advice on the matter.
However, the dispute took a twist following a two-hour meeting held on Thursday between the hospital management and MUMN representatives.
While declining to go into specific details, MUMN general secretary Colin Galea told Times of Malta yesterday that from the explanation given, it had emerged that the motives behind the transfers had not been political after all.
“While we had every right to protest against the timing of this decision, which was wrong and fuelled certain suspicions, we are now in a position to say that the reasons were not political,” Mr Galea said.
The MUMN official added that further decisions about these employees were expected soon but did not divulge details.