The social workers employed by the Education Ministry will take industrial action on Monday if they do not hear back from the government about their professional development.

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses registered an industrial dispute after its calls on the government to provide a continuous professional development (CPD) allowance for the social workers were ignored.

The industrial action – including not attending home visits, tribunal sittings and school visits, among other tasks – will kick off on Monday, providing the government a week’s notice to find a solution.

This action comes at the same time that Foundation for Social Welfare Service employees escalated their industrial action pending an agreement over their pay.

Read: Social workers escalate industrial action

The escalation has seen service users express their concern, though they have admitted they appreciate the pressure social workers are under.

In the case of the FSWS employees, represented by the UĦM Voice of the Workers, the action has entered its third week.

In the case of public service social workers, as with those employed by the health and education sectors, they are represented by the MUMN.

Last year, it reached an agreement with the government over the CPD allowance for the social workers that it represents across different sectors, general secretary Colin Galea said.

However, the allowance earmarked specifically for those employed by the Education Ministry, which is around 30 workers, was ‘parked’ pending talks over teachers’ conditions, he added.

Once the Malta Union of Teachers signed an agreement with the government in December, the MUMN called on the latter to uphold its agreed arrangement for social workers. Although the MUMN’s call was acknowledged, the union has not received any confirmation.