Government to issue call for recruitment of LSAs ‘within days’

An ongoing dispute between the Malta Union of Teachers and the Education Ministry may be resolved in the coming week, as a ministry spokesman confirmed that government will be issuing a call to recruit Learning Support Assistants, as demanded by the union, in the next few days.

This recruitment drive follows on from a course offered two years ago to grade 1 LSAs who were already on the government's payroll. The MUT claims that LSAs were encouraged to attend this course on the understanding that successful candidates would have their civil service employment grade adjusted accordingly.

But while many LSAs successfully completed the course, there was never any change to their employment conditions.

"In view of this procrastination, the MUT is declaring a trade-dispute and will be considering further action if the call remains not issued," the MUT said earlier this month.

On its part the education ministry confirmed this week that a call for recruitment will indeed be issued "in the coming days" - but denied that government is in any way 'committed' to issue such a call.

"LSAs are employed as 'supply' and it is up to the individuals, on a voluntary basis, if they want to follow a recognised course to be able to apply for the post of LSA 1 or 2 (depending on the course they follow) in the future," an education ministry spokesman said. "Should they do take up additional training, they'd be in a position to apply for such posts."

Even so, employment is not guaranteed: "If a person undergoes training at his own initiative, it does not mean that the government is obliged to employ him/her or change his/her employment status. One has to also keep in mind that the recruitment is not a 'by default' process, but is subject to an interview."

Government now confirms that this situation will be rectified very shortly, but not everyone will applaud the decision.

Among those who have urged the government to desist from issuing this call is the Malta Employers' Association, which argues that government should be taking steps to rein in its finances, and not further increase its wage bill through superfluous employment.

The MEA's perceived 'interference' in a matter concerning education was sharply criticised for its apparent insensitivity to the special requirements of a number of school children.

But MEA chairperson Joe Farrugia defended his association's position when contacted by MaltaToday: questioning whether government's intention to employ more qualified LSAs is motivated by a real demand for such assistants in the classroom.

"When you look at the number of LSAs currently in government employment, the figure can be seen to have increased year by year," Farrugia told MaltaToday, adding that at present there are 3,000 LSAs on the government payroll.

Controversially, Farrugia suggests that there are certain schools where there are 'more LSA's than teachers'. However, he stresses that the MEA is not singling out LSAs in general for criticism: "We have never said 'there shouldn't be LSAs'", Farrugia explains. "We fully recognise that some children need assistance. What we are against is the notion of government increasing the size of its workforce without due consideration to the impact on the economy. We don't accept the argument that government has to employ people because they attended a course. Government employment should be dictated by the country's needs."

Pointing out how government is already bound by an electoral commitment to cut spending, Farrugia questions the wisdom of taking steps which may exacerbate an already unsustainable government wage bill. "This is not something we're only saying now: even in MCESD meetings before the election, we had drawn government's attention to the need to prioritise its employment criteria along the lines of what the country needs, and what it can afford. Can we afford to increase the size of the public sector? Where can we economise? These are the questions we are asking."

But MUT president Kevin Bonello rejects this argument, insisting that by issuing this call for recruitment of LSAs government will merely be sticking to the terms of a commitment undertaken in its collective agreement with the union.

Moreover, the actual number of LSAs on the government payroll will not increase as a result of this intake: all that will change is the grade of LSAs who are already employed by government.

Bonello acknowledges that this may result in an increase in expenditure but argues that the LSAs do not place a strain on government finances, and that such considerations are no excuse for government to disregard its commitments.