Port workers demand funds owed to them

Eighty-three port workers have filed an application in the First Hall of the civil Court requesting rendering of accounts of funds that were due to them.

The port workers filed their application against the Malta Maritime Authority, the Malta Dockers' Union, A1+Services Limited and Karmenu Vella.

They claimed that the MTA was entrusted with the task of collecting fees and tariffs due to them in connection with their work as licensed port workers. The Authority was also entrusted with the administration of these funds and with distributing them to the workers. However, from September 2006, part of these funds had been paid to the Malta Dockers' Union, A1+Services Ltd and to Karmenu Vella instead of to the port workers. As a result, the workers had not received the full amount due to them.

They added that they had never authorised the Malta Dockers' Union, A1+Services Ltd or Karmenu Vella to hold these funds or to administer them.

In the application the workers said that they had requested the MMA to provide them with an explanation for this state of affairs and to render accounts, but the MMA had failed to do so. In conclusion the port workers called upon the respondents to render full accounts of the funds and to condemn them to pay the port workers all the funds that were due to them