Employment Relations Board appointed

The government yesterday appointed the Employment Relations Board, replacing the Labour Board. The new board was set up under the Employment and Industrial Relations Act which was approved by parliament last October.

Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday handed letters of appointment to the 13 members of the board.

It is made up of Prof. Edward Zammit as chairman, Frank Pullicino, vice-chairman, Anna Caruana Colombo, Moira Catania and Martin Debattista who represent the Office of the Prime Minister and the ministries for economic services and finance respectively; CMTU president Alfred Buhagiar, General Workers' Union officials Manwel Micallef and Michael Parnis and Union Haddiema Maghudin general secretary Gejtu Vella, all of whom represent employees on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.

There are another four members, also nominated by the MCESD, representing employers: Edwin Calleja (Federation of Industry), Joseph Farrugia (Malta Employers' Association), Tonio Farrugia (Chamber of Commerce) and Vince Farrugia (GRTU, Association of General Retailers and Traders).

The board is a consultative one but Dr Gonzi said its advice would not go unheeded by the government.

Dr Gonzi gave the board the task of going through nine sets of legal notices which are to be published by this month and urged the board to hand in its recommendations in the shortest time possible so that the regulations would be published before the end of the year.

The regulations cover various matters, ranging from the employment of foreigners to the guarantee fund, the workers' right to information and regulations related to part time workers, among others.

Dr Gonzi said that, up to now, regulations related to labour relations did not apply to the civil service. However, the government wanted to ensure that the new regulations also applied to those in the public sector, the only exception being their right to refer complaints to an industrial tribunal.

The changes which will apply to the public sector include regulations related to sexual harassment, parental leave, discrimination, part timers, and the right to minimum information.