Reference is made to the article entitled ‘Chairmen interrupted, organisations uninterrupted’ by Michaela Spiteri. (The Sunday Times of Malta, July 28).

In this article doubt was thrown as to whether the chairmen of the Industrial Tribunal who had offered their resignation, which resignations were subsequently accepted, would continue to hear their assigned cases.

It has to be pointed out that each chairman was informed in writing that although their resignation had been accepted, they were expected, according to the law, to continue hearing cases previously assigned to them, precisely to avoid what the columnist was afraid of, that is, the possible rehearing of cases by other chairmen.

In fact a detailed clarification to this effect was made by both the ministry and the department and this was reported in the article entitled ‘Tribunal email sparked furore’ which appeared in Times of Malta on July 24.

The Department of Industrial and Employment Relations trusts that any misunderstanding on this matter has been resolved.