Important Notice to all MUMN Members - Directive on Influenza vaccine

 

 

Dear Colleague,

The issue of the extra 12 hours Vacation Leave will fall squarely on the laps of all members of MUMN in the coming days.  

While the current administration, rightly so,  decided to give back this stolen vacation leave to all civil servants,  Nurses, ECG Technicians and Midwives who happen to work more than eight hour shifts for the sake of the patients were penalized by having 12 hours of Vacation Leave not returned back to them. 

To add insult to injury, next year another day of Vacation Leave would be given back to all civil servants. This means that another 4 hours would be lost totaling the loss to 16 hours Vacation Leave

These hours were first approved by the OPM, then taken back, then once again approved under a different nomenclature and then again removed. Such events have never been seen before under any administration.

 The Nurses and Midwives working in the Health Centres have a bigger issue than the rest of their colleagues in Malta and Gozo. While thanks to the MUMN all Nurses, Midwives, ECG Technicians, Physiotherapists, Dental Surgery Assistants and Social Workers are benefiting from new Meal Allowances, such NEW Allowances were never increased for our members working in the Health Centres/NIS. Two weights two measures amongst members of MUMN. This is not right and not acceptable at all.

 Therefore while MUMN has to fight for the rights of all its members, other unions sat back and piggy backed on MUMN's achievements to obtain the meal allowances for their members while MUMN members had to resort to industrial directives to obtain these allowances.

Therefore, the issue of the meal allowances for PHC and the 16 hours of VL for all MUMN members working more than 8 hours shifts lies on all members to adhere to the MUMN directives.

Directives are issued only as a last resort. The meal allowance issues has been discussed with authorities and entities for months while the Vacation Leave hours have been fought for, for the last three years.

While all directives unfortunately effect patient/client care and put unnecessary pressures on our workforce, this is the only way forward after all discussions have failed. 

Therefore if PHC want their meal allowance to be as their counter parts in Malta and Gozo and if nurses, midwives ECG technicians want to acquire the 16 hours of VL, which were after all taken away from them, directives have to be followed  otherwise there would be no meal allowances to PHC and VL hours . We should all stand up and be counted for and now is the time.

 On a different note, other unions such as the GWU are even proposing a financial package for civil servants doing teleworking such as paying their rent, telephone bills and electricity bills to be considered in the coming budget. If these proposals are granted, MUMN will be up in arms since the huge sacrifices of  front liners mostly, MUMN members are going through are being totally ignored by the current administration, where not only are they not being gratified but what is theirs is being taken away.

MUMN is the only true voice of the Healthcare Workers so all members of MUMN should support MUMN since it is the only true union fighting for your rights as Healthcare Workers. Therefore, MUMN will be issuing a directive that as from the 10th October, No influenza vaccines are to be administered to anyone since nurses, Physiotherapists, midwives, Social workers and ECG technicians are not second class civil workers. 

Regards,

Paul Pace

MUMN President

7^th October 2020