27 July - 2 August 2000

Employers lash out at GWU over Industrial Tribunal nominee

by Franco Aloisio

Employers' organisations lashed out yesterday at the General Workers' Union for opposing the nomination of Arthur Muscat to serve on the Industrial Tribunal panel which is hearing the Kalaxlokk case.

The Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Industries, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and the Malta Employers' Association said the continuous delay in the setting up of the Industrial Tribunal is threatening the future of the same tribunal.

The four constituted bodies issued a hard-hitting statement condemning an article which appeared on the GWU-owned newspaper l-Orizzont. The article on l-Orizzont said the GWU objected to this nomination because a few months ago Mr Muscat wrote an article which criticised the union.

Mr Muscat was one of the persons nominated by the employer bodies to represent the interests of the employers. Following the article, Mr Muscat yesterday renounced his nomination. As a result, the Industrial Tribunal sitting on Kalaxlokk had to be postponed for the second time in a week. This sitting is expected to decide the future of the company.

The constituted bodies reiterated their full confidence in the integrity of all their nominees on the Industrial Tribunal panel, including Mr Muscat.

"It is unacceptable that one's views and opinions as freely expressed in the media be taken as grounds for objection to sit on an arbitration tribunal, where integrity is the first requisite to ensure a fair hearing," the bodies said.

"It is the interest of all stakeholders to seek a solution which can only be achieved through a positive attitude by everybody concerned, rather than escalating the situation."

The Chamber of Commerce, MHRA, FOI and MEA said that the present situation cannot be accepted because it threatens the very existence of the Industrial Tribunal: "We are sure that all the parties concerned - employers, workers and government - are keen to preserve the existing machinery to avoid industrial strife."