Nurses’ union threatens industrial action over promotion results

The nurses’ union has warned it is ready to order industrial action if the health ministry fails to disclose the results of a call for application for the post of charge nurses by the end of the week.

In an open letter to the health ministry’s permanent secretary Joseph Rapa, the Malta Union for Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) also questioned why the Health Department has not yet published calls for applications for nurses, midwives, retired nurses and physiotherapists as had been agreed by the two parties.

The health ministry in July issued a call for applications for the positions of charge nurses at Mater Dei. Applicants were informed last month via SMS that the results were available on the health ministry’s noticeboard, but were told one hour later to ignore the previous text.

In his letter to Rapa, MUMN secretary general Colin Galea questioned why the results have not yet been published six weeks later.

“After the farce that took place six weeks ago, the MUMN is surprised that the results are still unpublished, ten days after the original deadline,” he wrote. “We will not accept any further delays – both with regards the publication of the promotion results and the calls for application. If these issues are not rectified by the end of the week, then we will order industrial action to our nurses, midwives and physiotherapists who work at Mater Dei and Karin Grech Hospital.”