Josephine Attard Sultana, the former secretary of the General Workers Union's public workers' section, who was dismissed by the union on August 8, last week presented her case to the Industrial Tribunal.

Ms Attard Sultana asked the tribunal to declare her sacking from the GWU was "abusive, illegal and without any legal basis". She also asked the tribunal to declare that Secretary-General Tony Zarb, his deputy Gejtu Mercieca and other union officers were responsible for the damages she suffered as a result of her dismissal.

Ms Attard Sultana said the appeal she had presented before the union's internal appeals board was turned down. She argued that the decision taken by the GWU's national council on August 8 had totally ignored a court judgment that had directed the union's administration not to hold an extraordinary general meeting for the section she ran.

She also said that her dismissal was in breach of the memorandum of understanding that regulates the responsibilities and duties of all union officials, and therefore contrary to the Employment and Industrial Relations Act.

Together with her statement, Ms Attard Sultana presented 22 documents and a list of around 70 potential witnesses.

The application was signed by Karmenu Vella - the former media and professional workers section secretary of the GWU, who had resigned during the spate of resignations that followed Ms Attard Sultana's dismissal - and Dr George Abela, the former GWU legal adviser, who had been sacked by the GWU after he had declared he was unwilling to file court cases he did not believe in.