Ministry denies being 'irresponsible' during MUT strike

The Education Ministry yesterday rebutted the Malta Union of Teachers' claims that it acted "irresponsibly" when it issued a circular telling hundreds of parents that last Friday would be a normal school day.

On that day the MUT had ordered the two-hour strike by kindergarten assistants, support kindergarten assistants and learning support assistants, following directives issued last week, after saying that an agreement reached more than a year ago was not being fully observed.

Reacting to an MUT statement, the ministry said it had a duty to ensure that schools cared for children affected by the strike.

The ministry said it remained open to meetings which would resolve this issue.

However, the MUT said that while the ministry was saying that its doors were open, the union's members "had been going in and out of those doors for 18 months" without any proper action being taken.

The union said its council would discuss the "dire" situation tomorrow.