A security officer once accused of moving a tube of expensive glue without permission – and sacked from De La Rue as a result – has been awarded €18,000 in compensation.
Publius Davison was 57 years old when he was sacked by De La Rue Currency and Security Print Limited after more than 32 years of service. He had borrowed the tube of glue from one department to fix an electricity plug in his locker, allegedly breaching strict company rules.
He placed it in the breast pocket of his uniform but forgot about it because he got caught up doing some other work.
No employee was allowed to move items from one department to another without prior permission
Mr Davison has now been awarded €18,000 in compensation after a court ruled that he was dismissed illegally.
He had first gone to the industrial tribunal over his dismissal but lost the case. However, he appealed and the Appeals Court overturned the tribunal’s decision and sent the case back for an effective remedy.
The new tribunal has now found that Mr Davison’s job was terminated illegally and awarded him €18,000 in compensation.
His lawyer, Robert Abela, told The Sunday Times of Malta that another appeal has been filed because Mr Davison contends he should have been awarded a higher amount of compensation.
Mr Davison’s sacking followed that of another two men from De La Rue, accused of stealing a pen and pipe respectively.
The company’s human resources manager, Ronald Bonnici, testified that Mr Davison was caught taking the glue on CCTV footage. This was a special type of glue which cost more than €53.
Dealing in the printing of cash, the company had a number of strict policies in place, one of them being that no employee was allowed to move items from one department to another without prior permission, Mr Bonnici said.
When other employees realised the glue had gone missing from next to one of the printers, the chief of security asked to watch the CCTV footage. Mr Davison was seen placing the glue in his pocket.
Mr Davison admitted to taking it to fix something in his locker and, when confronted, he fainted. He later admitted to not having sought permission before taking the item.
He said the security at the company was so tight that prior permission had to be sought even to take something that was being thrown away.
The Appeals Court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Ellul, noted that employers must ensure proportionality in their disciplinary action. The tribunal did not go into the merits of the case and dismissal was not warranted.
When the case was reappointed, the original tribunal chairman, Martin Fenech, recused himself and Joseph Delia was appointed instead.