Government warned not to discriminate between surgeons

The Director General of Health and the Principal Permanent Secretary have been warned that they should either remedy "the existent discrimination" between two surgeons or face legal action.

The warning is contained in an official letter dated July 17, sent by Abela, Stafrace & Associates on behalf of surgeon Walter Busuttil and the Medical Association of Malta.

The letter, a copy of which was seen by The Times, claims that Dr Busuttil was being discriminated against when he was offered a less favourable salary and working conditions when compared to those of another surgeon, Alex Manché, who was doing the same work.

This went against the collective agreement reached by MAM and the Public Service Management Code, the letter said.

"Therefore, we bring to your attention articles 26 and 27 of Act XXII of 2002 on employment and industrial relations (laying down) that employees in the same grade had the right to the same rate of remuneration," it added.

"You are being warned that all the necessary steps will be taken in the absence of remedying the present injustice immediately," it said.

Over the past days the MAM and the Health Division were involved in an altercation over this matter.

The MAM argued that the division could not pick and choose a particular doctor and offer him a vastly superior pay packet than that earned by other doctors. It complained that a doctor, with a salary of Lm45,000, was earning six times the amount his colleagues earned for the same work.

The Health Division had replied that the working conditions of the doctor had been established 10 years ago and his tax was being paid for by the division.

The MAM replied by saying that this "shameful and unjust act of discrimination" that has been perpetuated for over 10 years did not justify its continuation and called on the division to regularise its position immediately "or face serious consequences".