The Malta Union of Teachers has said in a statement today, that the proposed measure by the Malta Employers Association that the first day of sick leave should be unpaid, is unacceptable.”

The MEA proposal says that it should be “treated as a waiting day, because they fear sporadic sick leave especially linked to weekends, added the MUT.

“It is unacceptable that such regressive measures are even proposed and discussed in this day and age, especially when the country is passing through a positive economic period and following electoral campaigns in which everything was promised to everyone,” stated the Union.

The MUT went on to say that it “now expects promises made by the Government, such as the promise related to Public Holidays falling on weekend, to be implemented at once.”

The Union remarked that “instead of such backward proposals the MUT favours measures that invest in employees, promoting and safeguarding physical and mental health, safety, and increasing the quality of life to tackle issues such as work-life imbalance and burnout.”

As an example, the Union pointed out that it has been working with the Directorate for Educational Services within the Ministry for Education and Employment and with the Superintendent for Public Health in order for a number of identified educators to obtain the inoculation for Hepatitis and other chronic diseases without incurring any fees.

The MUT concluded that, “this should be the way forward to decrease sick leave. Treating employees with suspicion and increasing monetary burdens of the unlucky ones who fall ill, on the other hand, is certainly not the way forward.”

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