A cleaning company has protested in court that its rivals for a tender were to pay their employees less than minimum wage. The allegation was made by Gafa Safeway Ltd in a judicial protest filed against the Chief Government Medical Officer and the Minister for Social Policy.

Gafa Safeway told the court that it had tendered for a number of cleaning contracts issued by the authorities. But the authorities were insisting on awarding the contracts to two other companies which, according to their applications, would pay their employees less than the minimum wage.

The Contracts Department had concluded that the aauthorities were at liberty to choose the cheapest offer. This department had however referred the issue to the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations to investigate the allegations.

In its protest Gafa Safeway said that the prime minister had declared that the practice of companies employing persons at below minimum wage was going to be investigated as it was illegal. Consequently Gafa Safeway declared that it expected that this would be taken into consideration when it came to the tender awards.

In conclusion the company called upon the authorities not to award tenders to companies which had submitted illegal conditions and held the authorities liable in damages.

Lawyer Edward Gatt signed the protest

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