Ritratt: Miguela XuerebThe University of Malta Academic Staff Association (UMASA) issued a formal industrial directive, banning all academic staff from organising or attending administrative and management meetings, effective immediately.
The directive, issued on Thursday, comes after the union declared a one-week ultimatum to the government, which has now expired without a revised financial proposal. UMASA stated the offer received last week was “far below our expectations.”
This action marks a significant escalation in a pay dispute that has been simmering for over a year. The union first declared an industrial dispute on 13 November 2025, citing a complete lack of progress on a new collective agreement despite presenting its financial demands well in advance.
At that time, UMASA had threatened to issue industrial directives if a “reasonable offer” was not received, a deadline that passed without resolution.
The current directive covers all staff under the collective agreement and prohibits participation in departmental, faculty, and school meetings, among others. The ban excludes essential boards dealing with research ethics, recruitment, and promotions.
The centrist party Momentum had previously expressed full support for the academics, criticising the university’s “persistent silence” and warning against a protracted dispute similar to the lengthy negotiations seen at MCAST.
