Education Minister Dolores Cristina was yesterday ordered to pay almost €4,000 in compensation for unfairly dismissing a ministry employee.

No details were given by the ministry as to why the experts had recommended her post of coordinator be declared redundant

Former policewoman Marisa Bartolo had been employed on May 1, 2009 as a home programme coordinator at the Conservatorio Vincenzo Bugeja, a residential home for orphaned and destitute girls in Santa Venera.

Mrs Bartolo said that she had been over the one-year probation period and was even told by the chairman of the management board, the late Richard Manché, that she was doing well.

But, within weeks, she was told by Dr Manché that she was being suspended on the minister’s instructions. She then received a letter in which Dr Manché said that her last day in employment would be July 31 of 2011.

A letter she received said that “Mrs Marisa Bartolo’s training and extensive experience in the police force have formed her and conditioned her behaviour to date.

More than 12 months of direction from the homes director, role modelling and feedback from the other members of staff have not yielded the desired changes. Her position with the Conservatorio set-up is, therefore, considered untenable”.

Testifying, Tancred Tabone, the new chairman of the management board, said he had taken over from Dr Manché after his death. He found out that she had been on full pay while suspended for almost two years.

Mr Tabone said that the post of coordinator had become redundant on the advice of experts but replied in the negative when asked by Industrial Tribunal chairman Charles Cassar whether they had considered offering Mrs Bartolo another job.

Mr Cassar noted that Mrs Bartolo was not given a reason why a disciplinary board that was meant to have been convened to discuss the case never did.

He also noted that although she was told that her employment was to be terminated sooner than she had been led to believe, she was not given any reason for this either.

No details were given by the ministry as to why the experts had recommended her post of coordinator be declared redundant and why no other jobs had been affected except for Mrs Bartolo’s.

Mr Cassar said he was awarding €3,900 to Mrs Bartolo in compensation but did not order her re-instatement deeming it impractical. Lawyer Anġlu Farrugia appeared for Bartolo.