MaltaMedia.com

The University of Malta Academic Staff Association and the Malta Union of Teachers have lifted their industrial actions a few hours after the students’ rally, with talks between the government and the unions over the new collective agreement resuming on Thursday.

In the meantime, the KSU has expressed its satisfaction that both parties have re-engaged into discussion and that differences were set apart with the prospect of eventually signing the collective agreement.

Around 400 University students attended the rally organized by the University Students’ Council against the impasse between the government and the university lecturers’ union, on Wednesday morning.

The University students, some holding placards and banners saying ‘stop testing our patience, start testing our knowledge’ and ‘education is our right’, gathered inside the common room to protest against the current situation at the University.

UMASA and MUT had issued a directive to the University and Junior College lecturers to withhold all future exam papers as part of an industrial action over the new collective agreement.

Roberta Avellino, president of the KSU, said that the directive was unethical, unacceptable and unfair on the students. She had urged UMASA to lift its directives.

She stressed the need for the government to practice what it preaches by investing into the education; adding that the university needs more funds than what is being currently allocated.

Ms. Avellino also pin pointed to the fact that the promised ‘Trust Fund’ to create savings for long term investments was never put into place.

She concluded by saying that an agreement over the collective agreement had to be reached for the benefits of the students and the lecturers.

KSU have set up an on-line petition, on their website, stating that the industrial actions should not be to the detriment of the student population.

The online-petition will be presented to the government and UMASA.