MCAST Mosta students are being told to walk out of their classes at 11:30am on Friday, in protest over stalled negotiations between the government and the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT).

Earlier this month, the MUT launched a trade dispute with MCAST due to prolonged negotiations for a new collective agreement for educators. Last week, it announced that one of the directives launched would require lecturers to refrain from publishing exam marks. According to MCAST management, the MUT issued these directives despite constructive and ongoing talks with management and government’s Industrial Relations Unit, and so should revoke its current action.

MCAST students have come out decrying the delayed dispute – but are decidedly supporting the lecturers seeing out the directives. To this end, MCAST Mosta students have announced that they will be peacefully protesting the unjust situation on both [their] teachers and students. Several teachers are expected to join.

“We stand together to address the issues affecting our lecturers. Spread the word and stand with us! Together, we can make a difference.”

Meanwhile at the Paola campus, MCAST students are being told to leave their courses for a similar protest at 12pm.

Though the focus on educator solidarity seems less pronounced here, the major demand being made remains that government ‘needs to sit down with teachers’. Media officer for Kunsill Studenti MCAST, Matthew Demicoli, stated in a Facebook video that students had no choice but to stage the protest on Friday following the postponement of the meeting between the MUT, the government, and the management of MCAST.

Earlier this week I wrote an article describing trade disputes and their importance. It was a reactionary post in light of misdirected criticism from the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji, wherein the directive used to spark negotiations for UM staff were targeted. Only days after the incident, MCAST students are striving to address very similar repercussions, but have instead rallied around their educators’ struggle for fairer terms.

So if you’re a student and want your results published because educators had their rights respected – join your friends and exercise your right, Ipprotesta ghall-għalliema.