Malta's leading employers' lobby group has warned of a "dangerous precedent" being set, following claims that medical consultants no longer have a capping to their retirement pension. 

The Malta Employers Association said on Monday that such a "pre-electoral deal" would send ripples across other sectors, could destabilise industrial relations and raise public expenditure to unsustainable levels.

Times of Malta reported on Monday how nurses are taking industrial action, saying the government had refused their request to uncap their two-thirds pension. 

Consultants had had that capping removed, the Malta Union of Nurses said. 

The Medical Association of Malta responded to that report with a brief statement in which they said doctors have capped pensions "like all government employees." The statement made no mention of consultants and MAM had not replied to follow-up questions at the time of writing. 

In a statement, the MEA said the decision could have widespread repercussions, as employees will feel they are being treated unequally compared to some public sector employees.

It said that it may result in pressure – as was already happening in the case of nurses – to remove the capping for other professions who feel similarly entitled.

"If groups of employees are to be given recognition for higher responsibility and productivity, this should be reflected in their salaries, not pensions," the employers said.

“Awarding uncapped pensions to a privileged class is highly discriminatory and unfair to those who have paid social security throughout their working careers and end up with a pension which is capped at a miserable level,” the MEA said.

Promises to Air Malta workers 'unbelievable'

The MEA also reacted to another Times of Malta story that good salaries enjoyed by Air Malta staff members was causing a stumbling block to the government in its plan to redeploy airline workers to its departments and other entities.

It said it was “unbelievable” how the government could promise that employees will retain their working conditions at Air Malta, creating a burden on the taxpayer of having to finance the cost of these employees in many areas in the public sector that are already overmanned.

“The Association had warned that the ‘side’ agreement reached with Air Malta employees in this respect was an industrial relations blunder, and it remains to be seen how the principle of equal pay for work of equal value is going to be applied in such cases,” it said, adding that these employees should be offered job opportunities in the private sector.

“These precedents are creating an environment where employees in the private sector are made to feel that they are children of a lesser god, and are also raising public expenditure to potentially unsustainable levels,” the MEA said.