Hexagon House employees to stay home until risk assessment

After months of complaining about an “unbearable” stench in their offices at Hexagon House, workers of the planning authority’s environment directorate finally got their way yesterday after they held a protest walk with union leaders.

“It’s a pity that in this country, the authorities do not anticipate problems but wait until they escalate to solve them,” Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin general secretary Gejtu Vella said.

About 40 employees left their offices in Marsa to walk to the head office of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in Floriana where they demanded a meeting with the chairman.

The workers were later allowed to go home and those who could not continue their work from home were granted a special day of paid leave.

Mepa’s management and union representatives then met with the Director of Industrial Relations in the afternoon and it was agreed employees would only return to their offices when a risk assessment study focusing on air quality was carried out.

Until the problems are resolved, employees will be working from home unless alternative office space was provided.

Meanwhile, Mepa chairman Austin Walker said the authority had over the past months implemented a number of measures to ensure the work environment was safe, including a ventilation system that had removed the “inconvenient and occasional smells”.

Pointing out that the walkout was planned since Friday and, therefore, not as a result of any discomforting smells present yesterday, Mepa said expert analysis had confirmed the premises were safe.

“The cause of why members of staff are occasionally complaining of ill effects has yet to be identified.”

Workers have been complaining of sore throats, red eyes, headaches and pimples. It is thought the smells are caused by waste oil from ships in the nearby port.

According to union leaders, doctors had found symptoms on all employees and in the past two years they were sent home over 50 times.

They feared the mechanical ventilation of the building had been closed to prevent the smell but this rendered it “airless”.

The workers were led jointly by UĦM and UPAP (Union of Environmental and Planning Professionals).

Meanwhile, the Marsa local council called on Mepa to take immediate action about the smells in the area, which, it said, were also affecting other workers and residents outside Hexagon House.