Industrial Tribunal chairmen have been asked to resign by Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli.

Sources said that the request was made soon after the change in administration, but it was only recently that action was taken.

Over the past few days, chairmen were informed that their resignation had been accepted. A number of cases were put off.

Contacted for comment, industrial relations lawyer Andrew Borg-Cardona, who practices extensively in the Tribunal, said that this was a very worrying development.

“While in the past, Chairpersons had apparently also been asked to resign, which was a mistake too, the Government of the day had in effect respected the independence of the tribunal by not making any changes. In this instance, wholesale changes have been effected, which demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of the very concept of the independence of what is effectively our Labour Court.”

MINISTRY COMMENT

In its reaction the Ministry confirmed with Times of Malta that the Government will be ringing the changes in the tribunals, but declined to give further details. The line-up of chairmen will be announced in the Government Gazette.

The Ministry said that the resignation request was sent in line with the letter issued on 12 March by the then Principal Permanent Secretary Godwin Grima. In this letter Permanent Secretaries were ordered to request chairpersons and board members to offer their resignation.

The spokesman justified this decision saying that “this is standard practice adopted after each and every general election”.

The Ministry said that new appointments have been made in line with the Employment & Industrial Relations Act following consultation with the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development.