Dispute causes temporary closure of parts of cathedral museum

All the halls at the museum of St John's Co-Cathedral, in Valletta will be open as usual today after two of them were kept closed by the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation yesterday.

The closure was the result of a decision by the foundation to advise part-time custodians who had worked longer hours than they should have not to report for work before the end of this month.

The situation caused friction with the General Workers' Union which represents the custodians and which on Tuesday registered an industrial dispute with the foundation.

But Claude Busuttil, executive secretary of the foundation, said yesterday the decision to close the hall was taken in good faith not to aggravate the situation of part-time custodians who had worked more than the 20 hours a week permitted by law.

Dr Busuttil said that as from today all the part-time custodians were to resume their duties under their present roster and the museum will open as usual.

The foundation, he said, would be attending a conciliation meeting with the GWU called by Frank Pullicino, director of industrial relations and labour, tomorrow.

Dr Busuttil said the foundation looked forward to meeting the GWU to discuss the issue of part-time custodians and augured that a solution would be found.

The foundation was also looking at how to compensate part-time custodians who worked extra hours, Dr Busuttil said.

The GWU had insisted that to attend tomorrow's conciliation meeting at the Labour Department, the foundation should withdraw the "anti-democratic" decision of telling part-time custodians who had worked longer hours than they should have not to report for work before the end of this month. The union had also warned the foundation that it was prepared to take the necessary steps, even legal ones, to safeguard the interests of the part-time custodians.

Karmenu Vella, the union's section secretary for services and the media, said that it was unacceptable that part-time custodians were instructed not to report for work after the union had asked the director of labour to investigate their conditions of work.

The union deplored the closing of the two halls at the cathedral museum and the reduction of services to visitors.

Only the oratory, where the famous beheading of St John by Caravaggio is exhibited, and the cathedral annex were open to visitors yesterday morning. Two other halls, including the Perellos Hall, were closed to visitors.

The foundation was set up in 2001 to look after the St John's Co-Cathedral complex. The members of the foundation are appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Archbishop, on behalf of the Metropolitan Chapter.