A number of foreign dentists employed in public hospitals by the government did not speak English and struggled to communicate with local patients, UĦM – Voice of the Workers claimed on Wednesday.

In a press conference held to highlight long-standing concerns about public healthcare dentists’ working conditions, the union accused the government of undermining local dentists by turning to foreign ones instead.

“Issuing an international call for applications is, in this union’s view, a message that the government does not care about Maltese workers and is out to solve the situation by employing foreigners,” the union said.

“This threatens negotiations on working conditions as well as the entire structure of social dialogue and trade unionism,” said union chief executive Josef Vella.

Dentists working in the public sector have long complained that their working conditions are not up to scratch. Although a law concerning medical professions was introduced in 2008, dentists’ most recent sectoral agreement dates back a quarter of a century, to 1993.

Union negotiators had sent the government their proposals to improve conditions earlier this year, but those talks have stalled, with government counterproposals slammed as “arrogant” and insulting. The government’s most recent counteroffer, UĦM – Voice of the Workers said, would have led to dentists earning €2,000 less than what they currently made.

“Dentists working in the public sector are getting fed up,” Mr Vella said. “Over the past year, 40 dentists have graduated. Of those, eight were employed in the public sector. Four of those have already quit. This is proof of just how inadequate working conditions are,” he added.