The Malta Union of Teachers warned Thursday that it would not tolerate a situation where the Education Ministry engaged individuals from outside the sector to take over work done by teachers who were transferred elsewhere.

The union said it was reacting to a media comment made by a senior ministry official who said the ministry had made arrangements to engage workers to take over services normally performed by teachers.

The union and the ministry are engaged in an industrial dispute after the ministry transferred peripatetic teachers to fill teacher shortages in primary schools. The peripatetic teachers normally focus on particular subjects such as support for students with literacy or behavioural difficulties, amongst others.

MUT president Marco Bonnici said the union did not know to whon these services would be outsourced.

The union said the official's comments further confirmed the panic within the ministry as a result of a lack of consultation and preparation before the school year. It also showed a lack of respect for teachers who had spent time and money to specialise in their subjects.

It warned it would not accept people who are not graduated as teachers taking over the work and warned it will order industrial action if required.