A group of 10 hospital nursing managers yesterday accused the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin of betraying them and failing to protect their rights.

The managers said the union had seriously prejudiced their positions when they signed a new collective agreement for hospital staff on February 14.

They said the agreement would force them to compete with subordinates for their own jobs, which would turn the existing structures upside down. It created unjust preferences and discrimination.

Senior principals would now be elevated from scale eight to scale five in less than four years and officers on scale seven would be elevated to scale five in a few months.

UĦM guilty of unfairness and improper practices

The group claimed the senior principals were given preferential treatment simply because the union chose to push their agenda.

The union was guilty of unfairness and improper practices, the managers said.

They asked the court to declare the union had failed to carry out its obligations. They are seeking compensation for damages suffered.

The managers are Joseph Castillo, Noel Ciantar, Martin Francalanza, Francis Laus, Rita Micallef, John Mifsud, Margaret Muscat, John Salomone Reynaud, Cynthia Scerri and Andrew Scicluna.

They filed the protest against Josef Vella, the UĦM’s general secretary, and Gian Paul Gauci, a union official.