'Breakthrough' in talks on nurses’ agreement

There has been a “breakthrough” in talks between the nurses union and the health ministry on the new collective agreement for nurses, although more discussions are planned.

Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Twitter that he had had a “productive meeting” with the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses and that the two sides had registered “very good progress”.

MUMN president Paul Pace confirmed this when contacted, saying there had been a “breakthrough on major issues” that had stalled an earlier agreement.

"There has been a breakthrough on major issues but talks are still under way and there is no agreement yet. We have other meetings planned," he said.

Little detail

Both Pace and Fearne were reluctant to give any detail on what issues had been ironed out. One of the biggest stumbling blocks was the government’s insistence on the introduction of a palm reader for nurses to record attendance,  the reintroduction of the robotic system for the distribution of medication and the digitalisation of processes.

Pace would not confirm whether the palm reader issue had been solved but confirmed that the government had increased the budget for the financial package. He had previously said the government always told the union that there were no funds to cover its demands.  

Fearne said that Thursday's meeting followed earliar talks and that there was "good will from everyone concerned", which allowed the discussion to "go in the right direction". 

The talks began in mid-April after 97.6% of union members voted "No" to the government's financial package at an extraordinary general meeting attended by 804 nurses and midwives. This, the union said, was the biggest ever meeting since its founding in 1996.

The package presented by the government was “humiliating” for members, they had said.

The vote was held after months of talks between union and Ministry of Health officials on a new sectoral agreement.  The talks had ended in stalemate and the union had ordered industrial action which had raised concerns about patient care. The action was suspended before the MUMN members voted on the government's offer and had not been reintroduced “as a sign of goodwill”.

Most nurses worked a 46-hour week but are only paid for 40 hours. And the overtime pay the government was offering only came into force in a year, Pace had said. Moreover, the union also wanted a 10 per cent tax rate for overtime just like the police but the government had only offered this to those who worked 56 hours, and who will receive a bonus of €1,000 in a year.