Court action over Crowne Plaza

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority has halted all construction work at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sliema and has started court proceedings against the hotel's owners, an authority official told The Times.

The case is expected to start being heard tomorrow. The authority is monitoring the situation.

The case involves about 100 employees who were asked to carry out building, painting, plumbing and electrical work by the hotel's new owners. This has raised health and safety concerns because the employees are not trained to do that kind of work. Around 10 people were injured since January 8, when the problems started.

Yesterday a meeting was held between officials from the General Workers' Union, which represents the workers, former owner Air Malta and Imperial Point Company Ltd, which is in the process of buying the hotel.

A GWU official said "the possibility of reaching an agreement was discussed at length". The three parties are expected to continue meeting in the coming days.

Last week the union announced the possibility of issuing directives to workers after talks with Imperial Point came to a standstill.

The union had requested a long-term employment plan, saying there was no use having discussions before such a plan was in hand.