A hotel manager has won a 16-year legal battle to “clear his name” after proving he was unfairly dismissed by Sliema’s Imperial Hotel in 1996.
Joseph Saliba, now 70, who was later appointed general manager of the Comino Hotel for several years, saw his claim for compensation reduced from €24,000 to €15,000 as the case was appealed twice.
The money, he told The Times Business, was not important.
“I sought legal redress because I wanted to clear my name,” he said. “I gave 32 years’ service to the Imperial Hotel with duty and commitment. There was a great team there and we loved that property. I did not deserve to be treated so unceremoniously.”
Mr Saliba of Żurrieq joined the staff of the Imperial Hotel, then part of the Trusthouse Forte Group, in 1968 as an assistant receptionist. He was later asked to join the team at the Hotel Phoenicia, also a THF property, in 1973 as an assistant front office manager. He worked his way to senior assistant manager in 10 years and was sent to the UK for a six-month stint with Trusthouse’s Inns Division for training.
In February 1986, the general manager at the Imperial Hotel retired and the opportunity arose for Mr Saliba to lead the “great team” at the small hotel.
Mr Saliba recalls the challenging but enjoyable time at the property where the staff “worked like clockwork” with dedication and the hotel was turning a very healthy profit.
As the group began to remodel its property portfolio, the Imperial came up for sale and was acquired by its new owners in 1995. Just over a year later, Mr Saliba was handed a letter with 30-odd accusations and asked to leave immediately.
“I called my wife and went straight to the Labour Office,” Mr Saliba recalled. He later lodged a claim for unfair dismissal at the Industrial Tribunal. “Between 1996 and 2009, 48 sittings were scheduled. By this time, I was working in Comino and would often travel to appear at a sitting only to find it had been postponed. It was a frustrating time.”
In May 2009, the tribunal found the dismissal was not justified at law and awarded Mr Saliba €24,386 in compensation.
The hotel owners appealed, citing lack of motivation of the tribunal award, lack of indepth examination of the case, and exaggerated compensation. The Court of Appeal agreed with the company and annulled the tribunal decision in 2009. The case was sent back to the industrial tribunal for reconsideration and in January 2011 the tribunal – with a different chairman – again found the dismissal unjustified and awarded Mr Saliba €9,000. Mr Saliba, then appealed this decision himself on the basis that the tribunal’s reasoning when awarding him €9,000 was illegal and incorrect. The Court of Appeal agreed with Mr Saliba and on appeal, he was awarded €15,000 last May.
“I could not bear to have those accusations attached to my name,” Mr Saliba said. “I enjoyed my career in the industry immensely and I wanted to preserve my reputation. I am glad I persevered.”