MEA calls for collective bargaining for teachers to be suspended until after the elections

The Malta Employers’ Confederation on Saturday called on the government and MUT to suspend negotiations on a revised collective agreement in the education sector until after the elections.

The government and MUT have been at loggerheads for months, and the union issued an ultimatum that expires on Friday.

The association has been of the opinion for years that collective bargaining in the public sector should never take place closer than three months before an election. The governing party will have a much weaker negotiating position in the election campaign.

The result could also be used for election propaganda, the statement said. The collective bargaining agreement for the education sector is very sensitive as it not only represents an essential service but also has serious implications for private sector educational institutions where there are thousands of students. It may also impact relationships with other professions in the public sector and lead to further unrest in the industry.

The association stressed that there is general consensus that educators deserve fair compensation for the critical services they provide, but that it is in the interest of both sides of the table to conduct the negotiations with a cool head, and this is at the time of an election campaign definitely the case Not an ideal framework for the union and the government to reach a fair solution.

The MEA said collective bargaining should not be used as a weapon by either the unions or the government as it could have a long-term destabilizing effect on the labor market.