Gozo Channel employees are collecting signatures to reinstate their chairman who resigned when it was reported that a ferry turned back to pick him up.

The petition is calling on Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, politically responsible for Gozo Channel, to reconsider his stand on Joseph Grech, who has expressed regret for the ­“embarrassment” the incident caused. For the ferry company’s employees, what Dr Grech had done “was not something over which he should have resigned”. Contacted yesterday, one employee said that close to 90 per cent of the 200-strong Gozo Channel workforce had signed the petition until yesterday afternoon, including the captain and crew of the MV Malita, which was involved in the incident.

“He was the most hands-on chairman. He was close to employees and adopted an open-door policy with us. We want him back because he fought a lot for us and we always had his backing,” he said. He said Dr Grech, a lawyer by profession, had done “nothing wrong” and that the “small mistake” should not have led to his resignation. “He was proactive and his approach was always positive. This is why we employees believe he should be brought back.”

When contacted yesterday, an emotional Dr Grech, who did not know about the petition, thanked the employees for their support but did not wish to comment.

In his resignation letter on Monday, Dr Grech explained his position, claiming that he called the ferry back because he had mistakenly thought that it had left early.

However, it emerged that the timetable had changed a few days earlier and the ferry had in fact left on time.

Dr Grech, who was alone in the car at the time, acknowledged that his mistake, which led to the boat turning back after it left the quay, was “inexcusable”.

He added that the boat was only a few metres out when it turned back and also picked up the other cars present.

A few hours before Dr Grech resigned, Mr Fenech had said the way the chairman had acted was “unacceptable”.