Nurses union threatens industrial action

Nurses are threatening industrial action unless the government presents its counterproposals for a sectoral agreement that addresses worker shortages.

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses today gave the health authorities an ultimatum until next Sunday, after which nurses across all hospitals would start following industrial action directives.

The MUMN said a meeting with the government was scheduled for later this month but asked for a written guarantee that the authorities would come with counter proposals in hand. This guarantee was not forthcoming yet, MUMN secretary general Colin Galea said today.

He said retiring nurses were heavily outweighing the number of new nurses. Galea claimed that the health service was 500 nurses short, describing it “a dire situation”.

MUMN wants the government to do more to encourage more people to take up nursing and midwifery as well as provide incentives for foreign workers to join the health service.

Galea said industrial action directives will be announced later this week and come in force on Monday at 7am if the government failed to respond.