Usama wisdom

The University of Malta Academic Staff Association (UMASA) is now officially registered as a trade union. It has a new executive council. Can this new association be considered as a revival of the association that the university academics had in bygone times, namely the Association of the Teachers of the Royal University of Malta (ATRUM)?

UMASA is a university academics in-house organisation. It was first probably meant to be a pressure group but instead opted to become a fully fledged union. This action was taken after its call for resignation of the academic work resources fund committee (AWRF) fell on deaf ears. The AWRF has on its committee representatives from the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) who were perhaps not seen to be meeting fully with the needs of all the university staff members.

UMASA wants the AWRF committee to increase efficiency, remove the excessive bureaucracy and remove the artificial limits of the use of funds. Possibly there was some other disagreement with the MUT. But was this difference wide enough that it should induce UMASA in its newsletter to recommend that its members (who are also members of the MUT), resign their MUT membership? The resourceful manner by which UMASA was inducing members to send this resignation was indicated by providing a sample resignation letter on the internet. Is this a sample of UMASA wisdom?

But UMASA now has other serious items on its plate. It now needs to deal with the university staff's collective agreement. The past agreement reached with the MUT expired at the end of December 2003. This agreement was far from satisfactory. Yet the bargaining was tough and many still feel they got a raw deal as a result of that agreement. This could be a reason why UMASA received such a warm welcome. In the light of the financial problems already facing the University, this year's negotiations will not be easy, especially where these involve an increase in expenditure.

In the circumstances UMASA may need all the support possible. Would it not be wiser if UMASA and MUT towed the same line together?

UMASA were pleased to note that the new promotions criteria have been approved by the University Council earlier this month. Why did UMASA executive keep these criteria close to its chest? Why were these criteria not immediately published on the UMASA newsletter?

Some bad tongues are already mumbling that it is possible that some executive members of UMASA may have their own personal hidden agenda with regards to promotion aspirations. There is definitely no truth whatsoever in this accusation. Yet, it is rumoured around campus. It would be wise for UMASA to nip the rumour in the bud if it is to retain the high respect and credibility that it enjoys now.

Members of the UMASA executive should openly declare their personal ambitions, aspirations and promotions expected, and preferably also those of their spouses. Only such an action will satisfy one and all and it will kill any ill rumours. Otherwise some UMASA executive members may be asked to resign in the same way that they expected AWRF members to resign.

It is easy to point the finger at others and forgetting your own actions. UMASA members of the executive must not only be there to serve others (and not so much themselves) but must also be seen to do so. Having said this, one can only wish well to UMASA in its hard task ahead for the good of the University. UMASA needs to be congratulated for having succeeded to accelerate some action in areas which seemed to be taking very long to process. The call for promotions with the relevant criteria was in fact issued last Thursday.