Progession denied for Environmental Health Officers

The UHM and the Ministry for Health signed a sectoral agreement on 28th October 2021 for
Environmental Health Officer working within the Environmental Health Directorate.

Unfortunately, till today, 9 months after, a small group of Environmental Health Officers are
still being denied from progressing to the respective grades according to this agreement.
Environmental Health Officers in all grades have agreed to go on industrial actions as a means
of solidarity with their colleagues and to support this small group who are suffering such
discrimination. An industrial dispute was registered, and industrial actions started on the 3rd
of August 2022 include:

• EHOs at Port Health should not process any import entries and export documentation.

• EHOs are not to investigate new* ‘Food’ and ‘Environment’ complaints. All complaints which have been registered till the 2nd August 2022 are still to be worked as usual.

• EHOs are not to process, follow up any applications and certify catering establishments (for MTA licences only).

• EHOs shall not answer telephone, mobile phones and e-mails. Phones calls, messages,
e-mails received by third parties which are not EHOs are not to be accepted by EHOs.

• ‘On Call Duty’ mobile phone is to be answered. Execute only the work related with emergencies such as suspected food poisoning cases. Do not carry out work related to food and environmental complaints if this is pre-planned.

• No weekly bathing water reports will be issued. UHM hopes that common sense prevails and that the Ministry confirms that it will honour the agreement and that these employees are given the progression to their respective grades.

Once this is confirmed, UHM would suspend all actions.