The Employment and Industrial Relations director is investigating comments made by a Sliema councillor that he paid Nationalist employees more than their Labourite colleagues, The Times has learnt.

Sources said representatives of the office already visited the catering establishment that Julian Galea runs in Valletta and have asked for information and documentation related to staff wages.

When contacted, Mr Galea confirmed that an investigation was in progress, adding that he would hand over all the information requested.

The Nationalist councillor made headlines in the last week of the l ocal elections campaign when a recording was made public and he was heard saying he had a phobia of Labourites . He also claimed he paid them less than their Nationalist co-workers.

The 30-year-old politician was recorded during an informal council meeting.

He was heard saying that if a girl had to tell him she was a Labourite, he would discard her and that, at his place of work, Labourite employees were paid less than the Nationalists.

He apologised for his remarks but did not pull out of Saturday's election and in fact made it to the new council despite not reaching the quota.

Mr Galea yesterday refused to comment about the remarks.

In his apology the day after they were made public, Mr Galea said his remarks were wrong and did not reflect his or his party's beliefs.

Mr Galea was the only remaining PN candidate who served on the disgraced and dissolved Sliema council.

When compared to the 2009 council election, the number of first count votes he won only dropped by about 60 votes.

The 293 votes he got on that occasion dropped to 233 this time round. He was re-elected on the 17th count without a quota, which stood at 517 when he had 376 votes.