MUMN, MHRA in favour of Labour childcare proposal
The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) have come out in support of the Labour Party’s proposal, to extend free child care services to be available at night for night-shift workers.
MUMN General Secretary Colin Galea told The Malta Independent that the, “MUMN welcomes this proposal especially for our single mother members. In our professions, we have a substantial number of couples pertaining to the same profession, and so this proposal is also valid for their situation.”
The MUMN said that nearly all 3,200 nurses work evening shifts and around 2,400 work night shift duties.
“There are also a small number of midwives and ECG technicians that work night duties. Apart from these qualified health care professionals, this proposal is going to affect, on average, 80 student mothers who are reading a full time course in nursing and midwifery, who work evenings and occasionally night duties.”
Mr Galea also stressed the importance of having child care facilities centrally located within the new hospitals, such as in the newly PL proposed mother and child hospital, as well as in the two VGH hospitals in Malta and the one in Gozo. “If the employer truly has wellbeing of his employees at heart, a place centrally located for a child-care facility should be constructed.”
The MUMN came out with a number of proposals for political parties to consider including in their manifestos. They are calling for a specialisation framework for nurses, midwives and physiotherapists to be established.
The union also wants student Nurses to be given a choice prior to initiating their course, where they would either sign a contract that would enable them to earn the minimum wage and be bound for three years, or go by the system there is today where they earn a stipend but have no contract.
MHRA President Tony Zahra, asked for his reaction to this PL proposal said that by its very nature the hospitality industry, particularly the hotel industry, is a 24/7 economic activity, “which of course means shift duties. The Catering industry tends to work unsocial hours, mainly evenings and week-ends. The proposal to extend free childcare to shiftworkers is therefore welcome news to the hospitality industry in general as this will enable more female participation in the work force.”
The MHRA has also made their own set of proposals for the political party manifestos, which include taking stock of existing and planned accommodation development, further promoting PPP initiatives, encourage investment and support innovation, the need to prioritise efforts for environmental and infrastructural improvement, and the need to increase the supply of labour, skills and indigenous participation.