The Church authorities and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) have agreed upon a collective agreement for Church schools which will be effective from this year until 2022. The signing of this agreement was presided over by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, at the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana last week.
The agreement will affect all educators working at the Secretariat for Catholic Education and in Church schools in Malta and Gozo. They will benefit from an improved financial package with revised salary scales, allowances and work resources, better working conditions, structures and opportunities at their workplace.
The agreement also includes specific parameters regulating practices in Church schools such as recognition of regular service, as well as exams and other assessment practices adopted by the different schools. Although the Church authorities are still negotiating funding from the State, learning support educators and kindergarten educators are further benefitting from the reassurance of being provided with a laptop for the first time, at par with other education grades.
Many of the provisions of the agreement have been adopted from the sectoral agreement signed by the MUT and the government in December 2017. This also includes provisions such as progression and training initiatives, the new grades of Learning Support Educator 3 and Kindergarten Educator 3, structures for time in lieu and added leave.
Speaking on behalf of the Secretariat for Catholic Education, Fr Charles Mallia said: “The Church authorities are pleased to have concluded this new collective agreement with MUT in time to prepare adequately for the coming scholastic year. Church schools have already started implementing parts of this agreement, including the financial package, and have also made the necessary arrangements with the education authorities to provide the required staff for the coming scholastic year and those following it. Although this agreement reflects the sectoral agreement between the government and MUT, it has been adapted in a way that respects Church schools’ ethos, identity and autonomy.”
Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici said: “This collective agreement for educators in Church schools endorses and adopts the improved conditions of work and financials achieved through the sectoral agreement signed between MUT and the government in December 2017. It includes specific provisions to recognise the uniqueness of the Church school sector and the level of autonomy of respective Church schools.”
The collective agreement was approved by the absolute majority of respondents through a vote among members of the Malta Union of Teachers working at the Secretariat for Catholic Education and in Church schools following continued consultation with members throughout the process.