The Ministry of Education insisted on Monday that directives issued to teachers by a new trade union were illegal because the union was not the one recognised as representing educators.

The Union of Professional Educators on Friday told members and non-members not to send resources for photocopying at the government printing press and those with full load not to do extra duties. It complained that although the last sectoral agreement signed by another union (the MUT) was meant to address teachers’ heavy workloads, teachers of Maltese and mathematics were given a load of 25 lessons each per week and education officials were unwilling to offer any solution or compensation.

The printing press directive followed a decision by education authorities in the last scholastic year to enforce a circular issued by the Office of the Prime Minister in 1995 laying down that all printing by government departments must be done at the State printing press.

The Ministry for Education said that in terms of the Recognition of Trade Union Regulations 2016, “once a union is recognised as the sole collective bargaining union, no other union may intervene on a collective matter related to the employees concerned with the employer”.  

The ministry called on the UPE to respect the law by immediately withdrawing the 'illegal directives' it had issued 'to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary issues for educators in schools.'

It said it was committed to ensuring the best working conditions for its employees and would continue its continuous dialogue and communication with the recognised trade union in this sector. 

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