In recent months, MCAST lecturers have been used as pawns to obtain better salaries for higher-grade positions, such as deputy directors and directors.

This situation has reached a climax in recent days after the government lashed out at the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT), claiming that certain demands were unacceptable.

In an interview on NET TV, Marco Bonnici admitted that negotiations extend beyond the lecturing staff and also impact ‘other grades’.

“What the Government is not understanding, and who is perhaps not understanding who is conducting the negotiations, is that this is not an agreement that only concerns the lecturers; it is an agreement that involves other grades, and where there are other grades we have made requests that differ from those of lecturers.” – Marco Bonnici, MUT President. 

MCAST lecturers are aware of what the ‘other grades’ are, and it is evident that the MUT is diversifying its membership base rather than focusing solely on the traditional grassroots educator. Could this be due to the many members who have resigned over the past few years in mainstream schools?

It seems to be that lecturers at MCAST have been sidelined and put in the firing line to secure better conditions and salaries for directors, deputy directors, senior counsellors, heads of departments, and deputy registrars at MCAST.

Now, the predictable government and MUT will soon reach a compromise and will once again become cheerful and friendly, whilst directives will be withdrawn, allowing for a tsunami of work to inundate lecturers.