The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) has refused to meet with the Health Ministry’s permanent secretary following the appointment of a former General Workers Union official as his advisor.

It also registered an industrial dispute and said it will be issuing directives "in all hospital entities".

In a statement, the MUMN said that the union was “shocked and surprised" to learn that all industrial relations meetings, including sensitive ones on the nurses and midwives’ sectorial agreement as well as on the issue of Mount Carmel nurse Joseph Pace, will involve Jeremy Camilleri, the new advisor.

Pace is being prosecuted by the police in his role as a manager at the hospital and is due to be charged in connection with a patient who self-harmed under his watch.

The nurse and the union have said the incident was a result of staff shortages that have not been addressed by the government. 

The union said its directives will be aimed at defending Pace.

It added that Camilleri's appointment was a "reward" for "his input in the general election campaign in favour of the Labour Party".

The appointment had also "rendered irrelevant" senior government officials within the health department. 

Instead of learning from past mistakes, the permanent secretary was again appointing people because of their political connections, the MUMN complained.

It said it will not accept the roping in of political appointees to discuss “any union issues”, including sectoral agreements. 

The ministry said when contacted it reserved the right to appoint its own advisors.