Public Service Commission gets involved in appointments dispute

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has taken action to address concerns raised about the appointment of deputy charge nurses, according to the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN).

The union was reportedly contacted by over 100 nurses who were worried that the appointment process had not begun, in spite of interviews having been carried out months before. This, the union said, had lead to serious suspicion among the nurses involved that the process would not remain fair and transparent.

In a statement, the union says that it has spent the past several months pressuring the PSC to rectify the situation, adding that complications seem to have been the reason for the delay. It also states that it is necessary to involve the relevant department’s lawyers, as well as the attorney general.

The union is now informed that the process has ended and all that is left is for the four chairpersons involved on the interview boards to meet and move forward in the same manner, given that some of the complaints made by nurses revolved around being heard by different boards and not being judged the same way.

“The Public Service Commission, faced with these complaints, began investigating the process that resulted in them ordering the involved boards to operate in the same manner and adopt the same criteria.”

When the MUMN was informed that the PSC had issued its decision, it asked the department to publish a circular to be issued to the nurses involved. This request has been met, the MUMN says, and the circular is expected to be issued this week.

The MUMN has said that while it understands that the process may have caused frustration among successful candidates, matters relating to the PSC are not simple and must be dealt with according to bureaucratic regulations.

It added that it would continue assisting its members.