Two workers awarded compensation

Two health department employees who claimed they were unjustly transferred or removed from the shift system in 1987, only to be given the same jobs back on the eve of the 1996 election, were yesterday awarded compensation by the tribunal for the investigation of injustices.

The tribunal, chaired by Judge C. Farrugia Sacco, upheld the claims of the two employees, one of whom was transferred to the Ghammieri experimental farm while the other was pulled out of the shift system.

Carmelo Borg was awarded Lm5,000 while Carmel Briffa was awarded Lm1,500.

Borg claimed he had suffered an injustice when he was transferred from the ambulance garage to Ghammieri in 1987.

He had joined the department as a health auxiliary in 1967 and the only promotions he had been given were to ambulance driver and eventually to supervisor at the ambulance garage.

In June 1987, he claimed, he was transferred without any reason to the Department of Agriculture, where he lost the shift allowance.

The tribunal noted that Borg was transferred back to the ambulance garage before the general elections in 1996, but that he had lost some Lm75 a month in the meantime.

After noting the evidence presented, the tribunal upheld Borg's claim and awarded him Lm5,000 compensation.

Briffa, a driver with the health department, was pulled out of the shift without any reason and another driver took his place, he claimed.

As a consequence, he lost the shift allowance.

He was put back into the shift system two weeks before the general election in 1996.

The tribunal upheld Briffa's claim and awarded him Lm1,500 compensation.

Dr Josè Herrera and Dr David Camilleri appeared for Borg while Dr Josè Herrera and Dr Greta Mifsud Agius appeared for Briffa.