Updated 12pm with MUT comments

Hours before students protest union directives at MCAST, the Education Ministry said it would "intervene" to help conclude negotiations between the college and the lecturers' union.

Students attending the Malta College for Arts Sciences and Technology in Paola are protesting Malta Union of Teachers' directives that have left them without their exam results.

They confirmed with Times of Malta that the protest - planned for noon on Friday - will go ahead as an agreement has still not been reached between the union and the college.

The MUT has an ongoing trade dispute with MCAST over a delayed collective agreement. 

Less than four hours before the protest - which is backed by Kunsill Studenti MCAST - the Education Ministry said in a statement it was offering its assistance to conclude the negotiations.

"These negotiations aim to break the impasse and suspend directives," it said.

Earlier this week, another union - UĦM Voice of the Workers - suspended industrial action at the University of Malta on the eve of another planned student protest.

'MUT thanks MCAST students for supporting lecturers'

At around the time students started protesting on the main Paola campus, the MUT issued a statement thanking them for supporting their lecturers and staff impacted by the delayed collecting agreement.

The union assured students and their organisations it was communicating with the Education Ministry to seek solutions that are satisfactory for lecturers and personnel affected by the agreement.

"The MUT hopes these discussions lead to a satisfactory outcome for all, leading to the suspension of directives affecting the publication of students' results."