Tribunal rules against architect's injustice claim

Magistrate Michael Mallia, sitting in the Tribunal for the Investigation of Injustices, has dismissed an application filed by architect Joseph Briffa against the Prime Minister, the permanent secretary at the Prime Minister's Office and the director general of the management and personnel office.

Briffa claimed he had suffered an injustice in 1993 when his position at work had been assimilated into a grade that undervalued the role of assistant director of works, a post he had occupied since 1986.

Briffa added that he had suffered an injustice on an economic, social and moral level.

The tribunal heard Briffa's submission that prior to the public service reform, in January 1991, Briffa was assistant director in the Public Works Department. This was a prestigious post which involved serious responsibilities and was given a salary that was greater than that held by a PO (public officer) III. However, as a result of the reform, Briffa, as assistant director, was considered to be on the same level as those persons who had held the grade of PO III.

Briffa consequently felt he had been demoted from assistant director to chief architect and civil engineer, as the grade of assistant director had been eliminated.

In its ruling, the tribunal noted that one of the most important aims of the public service reform was reducing the number of grades within the civil service. The number had in fact been cut from 91 to 20 and this was done by assimilation of posts, abolition of certain grades and streamlining of other grades.

Following the reform the grade of chief public officer III was the highest following that of the post of director.

The post of director was superior to the post of assistant director which Briffa held prior to the reform.

It further resulted that following the reforms, Briffa was placed on salary scale four on a personal basis and not as a substantive grade.

His salary and pension entitlements were therefore equivalent to that of the assistant Attorney General, assistant Police Commissioner and assistant Director of Education.

The tribunal concluded by finding that no injustice had been meted out to Briffa for the reforms took place across the board and Briffa had benefited from the same salary as other assistants in departments.