The European Federation of Nurses Associations has condemned the Maltese government’s decision to take the nurses’ union to court, saying this is not acceptable “in a so-called democratic country”.
In a letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela and Health Minister Chris Fearne, the federation said the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) was being “unjustly targeted” by the government “for fighting for their legitimate rights of equal pay and allowances as other health care professionals in the sector”.
The letter was sent in support of the MUMN after the government last week filed an injunction in court to stop the union from ordering directives for its members which the authorities say could bring Mater Dei Hospital to a standstill.
The European Federation of Nurses Association represents over three million nurses from 36 EU member national nursing organisations.
Nurses are a valuable resource and meeting their needs will allow them to stay within the profession and in Malta
“This action is highly condemnable in a so-called democratic country where nurses and midwives are being unjustly targeted by their government for fighting for their legitimate rights of equal pay and allowances as other health care professionals in the sector.
“Using the law courts to stop a legitimate union to fight for the rights of its members is not acceptable. [It] is an act of arrogance and betrayal to the front liners, coming from the Prime Minister and the Health Minister, and it clearly gives a message to all nurses and midwives that there is no respect towards these two professions,” the federation wrote.
The letter was signed by federation president Elizabeth Adams and general secretary Paul de Raeve.
The federation said the nursing and midwifery professionals were taking the biggest impact on their daily duties due to the pandemic and the huge shortage of nurses.
Caring for COVID-19 patients had placed huge risks not only on the healthcare professionals’ lives but also on their relatives at home, it said.
The shortage in Malta was causing more stress and burnout due to the increased workload brought about by the pandemic.
“Frontline nurses and their leaders expect appropriate action. Nurses are a valuable resource and meeting their needs will allow them to stay within the profession and in Malta,” it said.