Education commissioner ‘gravely concerned’ over ongoing MCAST trade dispute

Commissioner for Education Chief Justice Emeritus Vincent Anthony De Gaetano has voiced his “grave concern” over the ongoing trade dispute at MCAST.

“The Commissioner for Education notes that putting pressure to conclude a collective agreement is legitimate if that pressure is exercised reasonable. When, however, that pressure affects negatively and solely or in a disproportionate manner third parties – in this case students who are on the cusp of graduating – that is tantamount to abuse in the conduct of the collective bargaining process,” the commissioner said.

The new collective agreement which includes Lecturing grades, Student Support Services grades, Student Mentors, Directors, Deputy Directors, Technicians grades, Learning Support Educators, and Senior Research Officers, has been in the works for the past two and a half years.

The commissioner said according to reports reaching his Office, a number of students who should be graduating in the coming weeks will not be able to do so because the examiners, in line with the union directives, have not passed on the required details to the administration to enable proper assessment and verification prior to graduation.

“The Commissioner for Education notes that putting pressure to conclude a collective agreement is legitimate if that pressure is exercised reasonable. When, however, that pressure affects negatively and solely or in a disproportionate manner third parties – in this case students who are on the cusp of graduating – that is tantamount to abuse in the conduct of the collective bargaining process,” he said.

For students, graduation day is a once-in-a-lifetime event which an entire cohort share together, he said. “It is therefore highly unfair that some students risk being left out of the respective graduation solely because of union directives.”

“The Commissioner for Education, therefore, urges the parties in the negotiations to reach a modus vivendi at least on the question of exam details required for graduation purposes, and again urgers them to make every effort to reach a global agreement on all pending issues by conducting genuine and constructive negotiations also in light of the fact that the rights of third parties are at stake,” the statement concluded.