Employers should ensure they cover the costs of mandatory training for their staff, the social partners are insisting.

In a meeting with MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, who is the EPP Group’s rapporteur on working conditions within the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, unions submitted proposals on their working conditions.

During the meeting in Brussels, UĦM Voice of the Workers’ general secretary Josef Vella said workers had a right to mandatory training without having to pay the extra costs. His comments were echoed by representatives of the Union of Cabin Crew, the Malta Employers’ Association and the General Workers’ Union.

The meeting was held in the wake of reports that learning support educators would have to pay for a mandatory course that has, to date, been provided for free.

“Learning support educators should not pay for mandatory training. This is unacceptable. If training is mandatory and required by the employer, it needs to be provided by the employer at no additional cost for the worker.

“Of course, there needs to be a guarantee that investment made in the employee is then reaped back and that the employee gives a reasonable duration of service for the training given,” Dr Zammit Dimech said during a discussion on a new directive being proposed by the European Commission seeking to improve working conditions across the EU.

Any supply LSE already in employment cannot be subjected to a retroactive decision, hence their course should be at no charge

Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici said when contacted that the mandatory course mentioned earlier was for supply LSEs and not for all LSEs, and was a requirement for their employment, similar to one for supply teachers.

The MUT will be meeting the ministry to discuss the training matter tomorrow.

Asked about the government’s statement that the union knew about the fee, Mr Bonnici said the Education Ministry had explained there were no supply LSEs who had not yet done the course.

“The union insists that any supply LSE already in employment cannot be subjected to a retroactive decision, hence their course should be at no charge,” he said.

The Education Ministry previously confirmed that the new course, developed by the Institute of Education, would be offered from October. It said groups would be limited to 25 participants each to allow for greater personalised learning and more support from tutors.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Union of Professional Educators said it believed that, due to the ever-growing shortage of LSEs, the government should continue to finance the course.

“The UPE also believes that such a course should be required before entering the profession in order to give the best service to our students,” the union said, adding it was not surprised by the development, because the profession had been forgotten by both the MUT and the government.

Its head, Graham Sansone, said the MUT’s claims it did not know about the payment were “unprofessional and not fit for a trade unionist”, adding it was unacceptable that a union first agreed with the ministry without consulting its members and then, on seeing a negative backlash, resorted to pointing fingers at the ministry.