Boatmen claim unregistered group is acting as sector regulator

Seven boatmen and operators have filed a judicial protest against Transport Malta, the Transport Ministry and the State Advocate, claiming that a group that is not a registered organisation is acting as the sector’s regulatory body.

Jason Sevasta, Kenneth Psaila, Keith Attard, Luke Ciantar, Daren Agius, Ivan Agius and Clifton Demanuele filed the protest on Thursday over what they described as the authorities’ decision to allow the so-called Għaqda Barklori to act as the administrative representative of the sector.

They said the representatives of the Għaqda Barklori are Lawrence Mizzi, Gerald Camilleri and Manoel Abela.

In the protest, the boatmen said they had valid reason to believe that certain individuals “claiming or pretending to act under the name of the so-called “Għaqda Barklori”, are not a registered organisition and that they are “seeking to promote private, economic and commercial interests of themselves or of persons related to them.”

They claimed the Għaqda Barklori was allegedly entering into, negotiating, controlling or facilitating arrangements with government or public entities, including Transport Malta, in a way that excluded or favoured certain operators.

The protestors also said they had been informed that arrangements or contracts had been or were being made with government entities, including through Transport Malta, despite the association allegedly not being eligible to be a party to such contracts or arrangements.

They said they had referred the matter to the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations for assessment.

The boatmen argued that even if the association existed within some form of legal structure, there was no legal basis allowing it to exercise control or influence over an economic activity, grant exclusive representation or exclude other operators in the sector.

They also claimed that when they approached Transport Malta, they were referred to the so-called Għaqda Barklori and asked to sign a membership agreement with the same organisation “which obligations of perpetual confidentiality, restricts or prohibits any challenges to arrangements with governmental entities, allegedly limits the members’ rights to challenge decisions or understandings,” 

They are asking the authorities not to grant any form of recognition, delegation, preferential treatment or formal or organisational arrangement to an unregistered voluntary organisation or to people acting in the name of the so-called Għaqda Barklori.

They also asked that those involved stop presenting themselves as the exclusive representative or regulatory body of the sector without legal authority, and that any potential contract be revoked.

The boatmen are represented by lawyers Mark Muscat, Errol Cutajar and Zack Esmail.