A group of mooring men are claiming that the transport authority is systematically undermining their jobs by not employing new workers to replace those who were retiring

The mooring men filed a judicial protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court arguing that the authority planned to employ third parties to do the job they had been carrying out for years. This would mean a loss of financial income for them.

The men explained that their work entailed providing services to secure ships in all Malta's ports. This was a practice that had been going on for years.

They originally worked in a team of 21 mooring men who had dwindled to 16 because the authority had not replaced those who retired.

The mooring men believed that the authority was "systematically" letting their numbers dwindle by not taking on new workers in their team to replace those who had left. They claimed the authority was doing this in order to make space for third parties, including foreign workers, once they managed to "eat away" at their numbers and render them inefficient.

They added that the authority had already allowed unlicensed and inexperienced workers to act as mooring men. Apart from this being illegal, it was in breach of health and safety regulations.

They also pointed out that recent amendments to the law had dissolved the Pilotage and Mooring Board that previously safeguarded their interests and the administration of their funds. The men objected to the fact that the authority had taken on the role of the board.

They asked the transport authority to solve the situation and held it liable in damages suffered.

Lawyer Michael Tanti Dougall signed the protest.