Nurses' union accuses government of using courts to bully health professionals

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) said it would not be bullied by government's legal action to stop industrial action.

In a statement on Wednesday, the nurses' union said that it was evident the law court was being used against the MUMN in order to deprived healthcare workers from improving collective agreements.

The union said that no previous prime minister or health minister had used the law courts against the rights of health professionals.

"This shows the arrogance and lack of respect which this government has," the MUMN said.

The union said that MUMN has tried to reach an agreement with the health division on various sectoral agreements for the last nine months, but all efforts were met with "arrogance and stubbornness from the government's side".

MUMN said it would not be muzzled by such dirty tactics leaving health professionals without a decent sectoral agreement.

For this reason, the MUMN said from today the union has re-issued several directives in the Decontamination Sterile Technicians (DSTS), The Dental Surgery Assistants ( DSAs) and the phlebotomist's sectors. MUMN said it would like to apologize to the public for such directives, but it has been left with no choice.

Other directives issued by MUMN

Currently, there is an ongoing directive to all nurses working in Mater Dei Hospital not to use the robotic system to administer drugs, which cost the taxpayer €25 million.

MUMN also stopped St Vincent De Paul Residence from accepting new admissions and ordered a complete lock down in SVP. This is because the health division would not agree with the elderly division on the number of new nurses needed to be deployed in the elderly Sector.