Health workers file protest against union

Ten members of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin claim the union betrayed their interests when it supported a call for applications for a inexistent post.

Departmental heads within the Health Department filed a civil protest alleging that the Union Haddiema Maghqudin betrayed their interests during discussions related to their collective agreement.

Joseph Castillo, Noel Ciantar, Martin Francalanza, Francis Laus, Dr Rita Micallef, John Mifsud, John Salomone Reynaud, Cynthia Scerri and Andrew Scicluna claimed the collective agreement signed between the UHM and the Health Authorities in February 2013, prejudiced their rights. “We were members of the UHM, if there was a conflict of interest we should have been informed and would have formed a house union.” the judicial protest read.

The ten heads of department argued that the health authorities should have desisted from launching a call for applications for the post of ‘senior principals’ as such a post does not exist at the health department. “The union pushed for the call of application so a chosen few could better their salary scale, but this was detrimental to the Heads of Department who found themselves in direct competition with lower civil service scales.”

The judicial protest read that this action by the UHM was discriminatory and illegal, as it betrays the interests of the union members. The ten head of departments reiterated they would be seeking compensation.

The protest was filed against Josef Vella, Secretary General of the UHM and Gian Paul Gauci, Secretary at the Public Services division, and was signed by lawyer Tonio Azzopardi.