Update 2 | Student organisations at loggerheads over MUMN’s minimum wage proposal

The Malta Health Students’ Association has rejected a budget proposal by the Malta Union for Midwives and Nurses targeting nursing students.

In its main proposals for Budget 2016, the MUMN suggested that nursing students should be given a minimum wage – instead of a stipend – in a bid to encourage more students to take on a nursing career.

The nurses’ union said minimum wage had already been granted to nursing students in the past: “Such a measure had left positive effects and should be introduced again. Minimum wage for nursing students was given in the past when there was a serious shortage of nurses.”

But the Malta Health Students’ Association has expressed its disagreement with the proposal. It argued that nursing and midwifery students should not be entitled to minimum wage as this gives the wrong incentive to students to join the course.

“MHSA believes that this incentive is not the right one since nursing requires a huge amount of dedication. Although it is evident that the need for nurses in the health care system is a priority, MHSA urges the MUMN to come up with alternate ways in order to encourage people to join the course,” the students said.

“Furthermore, MHSA believes that if these students are to be given a minimum wage, other health care students, who also attend clinical placements as part of their course requirements, should be entitled to the same wage.”

Likewise, SDM argued that by entitling nursing and midwifery students to a minimum wage during the time of their studies, this would offer a wrong motive for students to choose these areas of study.

“Healthcare is a vocational profession and students shouldn’t choose this area of study over others just to have such an income.”

But a third student organisation, Pulse, came out in favour of the proposal and called on the government to seriously consider further incentives to bolster the nursing profession in Malta.

"Together with medics, nurses form the bedrock of the healthcare profession in Malta. It is therefore in the general interest of society that such pivotal professions be sustained and supported in all forms," Pulse said. "For the past years, nursing has been a profession facing constant challenges, primarily an incessant shortage in workforce and interest. Coupled with the ever-increasing pressure on the national healthcare system, it is clear that a sustained deficit in nurses may very well lead to the crumbling of the entire framework."

In its proposals, MUMN also proposed a grant for families who take care of their elderly at home. Speaking of the long lists of elderly waiting to join a residential home, MUMN said it was convinced that there would be an increase in number of families taking care of their relatives if they received proper support.

“It would be a win-win situation if proper grants are given to families who take care of their relatives. The government would surely be paying less if the elderly stay at home while the same elderly would remain close to their familiar environment,” the MUMN said. 

It called for a feasibility study a plan that allows for families to be given proper incentives to keep independent and semi-independent elderly relatives at home. 

This would help in alleviating the problems of overcrowding in hospitals, the union added.

On the parking problem at Mater Dei Hospital, MUMN urged the government to speed up plans for the construction of another car park, allocating 396 parking spaces.