Nun is guilty of illegal sacking
The Mother Superior at the Little Sisters of the Poor faced the wrath of the industrial tribunal, along with an order to pay €1,200, after she was found guilty of unjustifiably sacking a cleaner who had worked with the nuns for 34 years.
Mary Cassar took Sister Christina Kannangara to the industrial tribunal complaining about her sacking in 2010 following decades of loyal and dedicated service.
The Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Hamrun.It appears that Sr Kannangara, who has since moved to Rome (the sisters rotate on a three-year basis) and Ms Cassar did not get on and there were complaints about the woman’s “attitude”.
When she was sacked, Ms Cassar was not given a proper explanation. A colleague who worked in administration and who testified in the case had offered to mediate and speak to the cleaner about the termination of her job.
34 years working for nuns
She persuaded her to resign rather than get sacked because it would have been easier for her to find another job. However, it resulted that nobody had explained to Ms Cassar that she was signing a resignation letter. In fact, she was under the impression that it was a document to get paid for her work and not a resignation letter.
Ms Cassar believed that the real reason for the termination of her employment was the fact that she had spearheaded a campaign to get all the employees to join the General Workers’ Union to have their working rights protected. However, the tribunal, presided over by George Borg Cardona, ruled that this claim had not been proven.
He pointed out that, though there were shortcomings on Ms Cassar’s side, these did not justify the termination of her employment, especially after 34 years of service.
The religious order justified its decision with the tribunal by referring to Ms Cassar’s attitude, adding that her behaviour was not desirable.
However, the tribunal upheld the cleaner’s grievance and ordered the Mother Superior to pay Ms Cassar €1,200 as compensation for her illegal sacking. She was given six weeks to effect the payment.
The Mother Superior and Sister Maria Anna Bonavia, representing the Little Sisters of the Poor, were assisted by lawyer Kris Busietta.
Ms Cassar was represented by GWU lawyer Joanne Vella Cuschieri.
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26 Comments
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Josephine Muscat
Sep 24th 2012, 19:53
Sister my foot. The lord will judge this sister for what she did to this lady alone.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Sep 24th 2012, 16:47
Will the nun now issue a statement saying she has no regrets and throw mud at the employee, stuff which did not come out in the trial?
Arthur Taliana
Sep 24th 2012, 14:33
@ M.Hills. I would have thought that you are just speculating.
M. Hills
Sep 24th 2012, 12:27
I would have thought that after 34 years of housework this woman was tired and not giving her best and perhaps she "rabbiet hafna kunfidenza u wicc tost " and skimped on her work. and why should an employer tolerate such rudeness soru yew lw...
Deo Catania
Sep 24th 2012, 13:56
Really? how do you know all this? do you know Mary Cassar? does your pathetic reasoning apply only to Mary Cassar or to anybody including priests and nuns? waiting for explanations and answers if you got any.
Nazzareno Cortis
Sep 24th 2012, 13:58
M. Hills----quote from your writing----"perhaps she "rabbiet hafna kunfidenza u wicc tost " and skimped on her work. and why should an employer tolerate such rudeness soru ".-------
Any proof of what you wrote????
Or are you one of those who beleives that a nun,a priest---or any ecclesiastical personell are all saints!!!!! and never do wrongs!!!!! come on ---grow up----Every person on earth---no matter being a prime minister---a minister---a judge-----a policeman----in one word---any human being is subject to err---no matter who he happens to be!!!!!
-
John Zammit
Sep 24th 2012, 14:31
know I don this lady't and I doubt if you knew it. So why passing Judgement ?
Dan Vella
Sep 24th 2012, 12:02
Missa tisthi wara da zmien kollu tkeccija u blima mod .
Franco Farrugia
Sep 24th 2012, 11:40
Mhux ahjar tisktu u forsi taraw sewwa, ezattament x'kienet ir-raguni? Issa oqghodu ghidu kontra s-soru meta tigu biex tippruvaw iddahhlu xi ghaziz/a anzjan/a fid-Dar! Sorijiet li qed jaghtu servizz importanti u mill-ahjar!
Abigail Bugeja
Sep 24th 2012, 12:41
well said !
R Galea
Sep 24th 2012, 12:51
Ghax b'xejn qed izzomuhom tarax!!!! X'int tghid Franco?? Zgur ghar-ruh nanna qed jaghmlu l-"gid"! Mela ma tafx li jekk l-anzjan ma jkollux pensjoni + certa ammont ta' flus il-bank + dar xi jhallilhom wara mewtu jirrifjutawh?? Fid-dinja hadd ma jaghmel xejn ghal xejn! Wisq anqas il-Knisja. That is why I define it as a multinational business institution! Nothing more, nothing less...
Dorielle Soler
Sep 24th 2012, 13:21
Dear R Galea, what you are saying is a load of rubbish as I know several inmates of this home who simply pay a normal fee (and why, pray, would you be there for FREE when everyone in Malta is entitled to at least Social Security payment ??? Do YOU work for free ?) and certainly have left nothing in their will to the nuns. There must be a very good reason why the nuns have a long waiting list for their homes, don't you think ? The inmates I know residing there are very content with the service they get !
R Galea
Sep 24th 2012, 15:20
Dear Ms Soler, I respect your opinion, and won't refer to your comment as a load of rubbish with just WORDS. I would be very much interested to know what you mean by a "normal fee". The meaning of normality in these cases might vary quite a lot. Please avoid what YOU THINK is the "normal fee", as it is not. Unfortunately I'm quite sure that if these beloved old people were given a choice, they would prefer to live at their OWN home with their families and their habitat they've lived in throughout their whole life. The list is long because circumstances don't always permit this. I don't work for free, as i'm sure neither do you! My point was these nuns are being paid, and it's their work! So the "Sorijiet li qed jaghtu servizz important u mill-ahjar!" are doing nothing better than the dedicated PUBLIC nurses and careworkers.
V Mercieca
Sep 24th 2012, 15:26
@R Galea
you are saying a load of rubbish. My mother was there and she did not possess any property or have a bank account
Franco Farrugia
Sep 24th 2012, 17:29
@ R Galea - whoever you are, you write dishonestly and you write without any shame. I know THROUGH FACTS, that if the nuns in questions have proof that a person cannot pay, they accept her all the same.
That having been said, they are quite right IF they expect all the pension and more, for having a person living at their institution. After all, what would that person need that pension for? For the so-called relatives who cannot keep her, to keep it for themselves?
R Galea
Sep 24th 2012, 17:34
there's nothing I need to be ashamed of... il-verita twegga ;)
Abigail Bugeja
Sep 24th 2012, 11:29
".... there were complaints about the woman's attitude."
Jeremy J Camilleri
Sep 24th 2012, 15:25
Complaints are always recorded. In this case none were. It is always easy for an employer to say that there were complaints in order to justify an illegal sacking!!!!!.
Peter Murray
Sep 24th 2012, 11:21
Looks like a classic case of Attila the Nun!
Jesmond Chetcuti
Sep 24th 2012, 10:26
and now what? 1200 euros as compensation ...probably not more than a months wages...is she going to get her job back? ....next sundays collection will cover the costs....
Simon Ciantar
Sep 24th 2012, 10:23
The comments here show only stupidity and bias against the Church. As an employer I can tell you that an employee with an attitude is one of the worse things that you can have in a work environment. The sister only fault was that she did not follow the right procedure in that she should have given three warnings in writing before hand , had the attitude continued she would have been fully justified in firing her.
Deo Catania
Sep 24th 2012, 15:19
Simply because you are an employer means nothing. You neither know the employee nor the Nun so you don't know what was the real reason but still decided that the Nun was right. And you come here telling us about stupidity. Poor employess of yours!!!!!
Carmen Micallef
Sep 24th 2012, 09:55
Prosit lill-GWU u lil Dr Joanne Vella Cuschieri. Fejn hemm l-ghaqda hemm is-sahha. Lanqas tisthi s-soru tkecci mpjegata wara li hadmet maghhom 34 sena.
Dorielle Soler
Sep 24th 2012, 13:19
It is irrelevant how many years you have worked for an entity if your work or attitude is no longer of an acceptable standard.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Sep 24th 2012, 15:23
Dorielle..The tribunal decided that the dismissal was unfair and illegal. That means that her attitude was not enough to incur her dismissal.
Austin grech
Sep 24th 2012, 09:42
where are the Christian value's in sacking a worker couse of her attitude. The arch bishop in independance mass, correctly said, (rabja jew suppervja hi hazina bis socjeta) is this, the case?
Please choose the reason of your report below: