The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has declared a dispute, stating that, “the Health Ministry is forcing Steward Health Care to employ Third Country Nationals Nurses in Gozo General Hospital at the detriment of the Gozitan Nurses working in Malta.”
In a statement, the union said that “the Health Ministry once again refused to transfer Gozitan nurses working in Malta to be transferred to the Gozo General Hospital even though there is a huge shortage of nurses at Gozo General Hospital.”
It claimed that the Gozo General Hospital has a “huge shortage of nurses where emergency services in the E/A department and Operating Theatre services have become mediocre at the detriment of the citizens living in Gozo.”
“Steward Health Care had demanded at least the transfer of 5 nurses from Malta to Gozo as to sustain the essential services such as the emergency services and operations,” the MUMN said.
It argued that “the Health Ministry continuous refusal will constrain Steward Health Care to employ Third Country Nationals Nurses in Gozo and not Gozitan nurses working in Malta.”
“Such employment goes against the agreement which MUMN has with the Health Ministry since Gozo nurses have a right to be transferred to Gozo General Hospitals,” the MUMN said.
The union went on to say that, “It is crystal clear that the Labour Government is not prioritising the needs of the Gozo people, the basic right to work in Gozo.”
“MUMN would have expected that all Labour MPs including the Gozo Minister not to allow the Health Ministry to act against the interest of the Gozitan nurses,” the union said.
“The nice words during the election campaign by the Gozitan MPs that the Labour party would prioritise Gozitans working in Gozo was just a gimmick on false pretences,” the MUMN added.
The union warned that, “once these Third Country Nationals are employed in GGH, MUMN will be constrained to take action as it deems fit in the interest of the Gozo Nurses working in Malta.”
“The nurses working in Gozo and the population working in Gozo should be treated with respect and it is a great pity that a basic right of the Gozitans to work in Gozo has to be defended by the union,” said the MUMN.
Photo: Gozo News/Anthony Zammit