Enemalta engineers 'not consulted' on defective gas cylinders

The Enemalta Professional Officers Union said it agreed with Government Investments Minister Austin Gatt when he said that an overhaul of disciplinary procedures in the public sector was sorely needed.

However, it said, this should be aimed at ensuring that the present delays in the administration of justice are eliminated and should guard against the issue of serious charges without sufficient grounds in the case of innocent individuals.

Moreover, it should address the issue of compensation for employees who experience suspension and legal expenses after being unjustly accused, the union said.

It was referring to comments by Dr Gatt who urged the trade unions to hold talks with the government on ways to improve the enforcement of discipline in the public sector.

Dr Gatt said Enemalta had received 10,000 defective gas cylinders but two boards had not been able to pin responsibility on anyone.

The union said that contrary to what was reportedly stated by the minister, the disciplinary committee at Enemalta Corporation does not exist "to pin responsibility on anyone" but its role was to investigate cases of discipline referred to it by the corporation.

The fact that the disciplinary committee recommended that all charges and allegations against three engineers be dropped in the case of the adjudication process of gas cylinders was a clear statement that no fault could be found with the professional work of the three engineers. In this respect, it is the management at Enemalta who have failed to correctly identify the party who is to blame for the delivery of the allegedly defective gas cylinders.

The union added that this was not surprising, considering that the engineers who were involved in the case were never asked for their expert opinion. The management opted instead to base its allegations and charges on the report of an external consultant who had not even been handed the complete set of documents relating to the case, the union said.