UHM to order health sector industrial action

The UHM said today it would order nursing aides, care workers, assistant care workers and health assistants at Mater Dei Hospital to take industrial action on Friday over the government's failure to meet its commitments made in a collective agreement reached last year.

UHM section secretary Joe Bonello did not specify what sort of industrial action would be taken, but said every effort would be made not to affect patients.

UHM president Gejtu Tanti told a press conference that applications for promotions in the respective grades had been issued late and did not observe the collective agreement. The workers had therefore lost out in allowances.

The matter had been taken to conciliation which found in favour of the union in November. But the collective agreement was still not being observed, Mr Bonello said.