The civil court has ordered the payment of €60,000 in termination benefits to three former full-time teachers at a private school in Zebbuġ who insisted that the funds were owed to them when the school closed down in June 2013.

Maria Antonia Agius, Mary Azzopardi and Carmen Micallef Grimaud filed civil proceedings against Marlene Tua personally and on behalf of Garendon School claiming that their former employer was refusing to pay the termination benefits owed to them in terms of their collective agreement with the school.

As long-term members of the MUT,  teachers' employment had been regulated by a collective agreement signed in March 2000.

This document stated that in case of termination of employment due to closure or transfer of ownership of the school, the employees were entitled to receive benefits equivalent to a year's salary.

Following notice of termination on the grounds of the business closing down in June 2013, the school management repeatedly refused to give the plaintiffs their dues, arguing that the collective agreement had expired.

The First Hall, Civil Court, presided by Madame Justice Jacqueline Padovani Grima, declared that it was morally convinced of the existing practice whereby a collective agreement was deemed to remain valid and operative even after its expiry, until a new agreement was signed. 

The court concluded that the school had breached the terms of the agreement and ordered the payment of €16,401,€23,382 and €19,431 to the three teachers respectively, together with interest accrued as from June 2014.

The court observed that the school had shown a "lack of appreciation" towards the teachers despite "the work and loyalty " always manifested by them. The three teachers had even voluntarily and without expecting any remuneration, supervised swimming activities of students attending summer school.

Lawyers Michael Tanti-Dougall and Jonathan Spiteri were counsel to the teachers.

Lawyer Adrian Camilleri was counsel to Marlene Tua and Garendon School.