University matters 'at a head'

The University of Malta Academic Staff Association (UMASA), which was set up in 2001, has been registered as a trade union under the Employment and Industrial Relations Act. UMASA has claimed sole representation in trade union matters for the academic...

The University of Malta Academic Staff Association (UMASA), which was set up in 2001, has been registered as a trade union under the Employment and Industrial Relations Act. UMASA has claimed sole representation in trade union matters for the academic members of staff that it represents.

A statement by UMASA said the financial situation at the university has been deteriorating over the past years and the current critical situation needed to be addressed with urgency if standards of university courses were to be maintained.

"Matters have now come to a head. The prevailing financial circumstances have meant shoestring faculty budget allocations, a library that cannot afford to purchase any new books and no funds available for research projects.

"UMASA will strive to address these very essential issues in its drafting of a new collective agreement which should come into force this year. It will also press for adequate funding for a higher education system facing unprecedented challenges," the statement said.

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