Government’s decision to block industrial action ordered by UHM Voice of the Workers through an injunction was testament to its strategy of shunning social dialogue behind the courts.

UHM CEO Josef Vella made this remark when asked by Voice of the Workers Weekly on the latest developments of the ongoing dispute in the health sector.

“This injunction was no exception at all, as during the last three years Government resorted to this measure repeatedly whenever it was faced by a major industrial dispute even in when it was fully aware it was in the wrong,” Vella said.

In this case, the dispute which affects 1,300 health sector workers, was triggered by government’s decision not to honour what was agreed in writing on the seniority of allied healthcare professionals and Steward Health Care workers. The latter were promised to be transferred on government’s books with the same conditions of their colleagues employed by the State. The dispute also involves emergency ambulance responders who for the past year and a half have been asking to start talks on a new collective agreement.

The UHM CEO insisted that the union strongly believed in social dialogue but would not accept that the other party in an industrial dispute abuse this forum to try to take advantage to the detriment of workers.

“The decision to go for industrial action was not taken lightly but after we exhausted all other avenues and after months in which Government had completely ignored the demands of these workers,” Vella said .

He added that even after the action started, the union continued with the efforts to find a solution but Government was not fully committed.

“It turned out that while the two sides were in contact to find a solution and when it seemed that the differences were being ironed out, the union learnt that the same Government had filed an injunction,” Vella said.

Meanwhile, at a Cabinet meeting held at the headquarters of the General Workers Union, Prime Minister Robert Abela was reportedly said that Government “will continue to listen to the social partners”. In this context, UHM renewed its call on the Prime Minister to intervene to find a solution. During the same meeting the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that in 2020 Government concluded 16 collective agreements saying that this was testament to its ambition to give priority to workers.

The UHM CEO said it was hugely upsetting that another union publicly urged the Government to take legal action against UHM by filing an injunction.  This is the level of solidarity between the unions in Malta! Attacks were also levelled against UHM officials through social media.