Abela on MCAST dispute: Students should not be victims of industrial action

Students should never be victims of industrial action, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on an ongoing industrial dispute between MCAST and the MUT.

The Prime Minister met with MCAST students at the Parliament Building in Valletta on Monday.

“As I have said many times, it is never fair for the student to end up as a victim of industrial actions, especially when there is willingness and proposals on the table,” Abela said in a short Facebook post.

Industrial action ordered by the MUT has been going on for over a month and students have been left without their exam marks.

The situation has led to growing tension between lecturers and students. The current situation stems from directives, issued by the Malta Union of Teachers, to withhold assessment marks, as well as a refusal to invigilate at examinations and to participate in vivas.

This has led to students, including students in their final year of studies, being left entirely in the dark as to their progression and possible further studies. Some 8,000 students are believed to have been affected in one way or another.

The ongoing dispute has seen the Education Ministry remove MCAST principal Joachim James Calleja from the post.

Sources said the government’s decision to replace the college principal is aimed at “clearing the stifling atmosphere”, which has left students angry and lecturers frustrated.

“The government believes that by replacing the principal it can inject fresh impetus into the college,” the sources said.

Calleja was appointed principal and CEO of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology in June 2018.