The government's new financial proposal to improve teachers' wages was refused by the Malta Union of Teachers, and described as an "improvement but not enough".
Following a nearly four-hour meeting on Friday MUT’s head Marco Bonnici said that the government had presented a new financial proposal to the union, yet following an evaluation of the terms, the union did not accept it.
"It was an improvement compared to the previous one, yet it is not enough," Bonnici told Times of Malta.
He said industrial directives for teachers will continue, with the November 27 strike planned to still take place.
Attempts to bring the sides together did not result in any tangible solution and it failed to lead to a resolution of the dispute, according to the union.
Bonnici said the MUT Council will meet next week to discuss the situation, and that the union is open to any further discussions with the government to seek a solution.
Friday was the second conciliatory meeting between the government and the union after a "short and inconclusive" meeting took place on Monday.
The union previously described the government's first proposed wage increase as "insulting".
When asked about how much the government proposed on Friday, Bonnici refused to provide figures, saying figures are never revealed following negotiations.
Both the Education Minister and MUT have refused to disclose what pay increase offers or demands have been made.
The three-person conciliation team tasked with mediating between the union and government is chaired by former PN candidate Roselyn Borg Knight, who leads the Employment Relations Board.
Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister Joyce Cassar represented the government during Monday's brief meeting.
Teachers and other educators are following MUT directives that came into force on Monday, with the union having ordered its members to strike on November 27 in protest.
Educators were informed not to carry out class assessments, submit attendance sheets or take part in meetings with parents, among other things.
Parents of non-verbal children have said that the directives have left their children more vulnerable in school, as educators are not documenting the daily outcome of their progress as they usually do.
The Union of Professional Educators said its members will not be joining in the MUT’s strike because it believes that the rival union has not been clear on why direct action is necessary.
“The MUT has not provided any of its council members a copy of the discussed text, so no one knows the reason for the strike,” Sansone, the head of UPE said in a press conference last week.
According to a government vacancy post for a secondary/post-secondary teacher, which was published back in May, the salary for the post of teacher is placed on salary scale 9.
At that scale, the starting salary for teachers starts at €24,494, rising by annual increments of €447.33 up to a maximum of €27,178.
The salary is supplemented by a class allowance of €2,350 per annum, together with a works resources fund of €650.
After eight years, a teacher will progress to salary scale 8 – starting at €26,048, rising by annual increments of €486.83, to a maximum of €28,969.
If a teacher completes a further eight years, they will advance to salary scale 7, starting with a wage of €27,697, rising by annual increments of €531. At that rate, teachers can get up to a maximum of €30,844.