The CEO of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, Mark Gauci, is set to retire after serving at the helm for 20 years, since the authority's setting up, Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi told parliament on Wednesday.
He said Gauci will leave the authority as his legacy when he leaves upon reaching retirement age. Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg joined the government in thanking Dr Gauci for his work.
The announcement was made at the end of a sitting during which MPs debated the OSHA’s financial estimates and budget for 2023.
Most opposition MPs used their time to reiterate their request for a public inquiry into the death of Jean-Paul Sofia, 20, when a large building collapsed while under construction in Corradino during roofing works in December.
His mother Isabelle has been urging MPs to back her calls for a public inquiry into her son’s death. Prime Minister Robert Abela has insisted that there is no need for a public inquiry, as any wrongdoing will be uncovered by the inquiring magistrate.
The Opposition is arguing, however, that the magisterial inquiry will not delve into certain aspects of the tragedy and that a public inquiry will make recommendations for possible deficiencies to be repeated in the future.
PN MPs Jerome Caruana Cilia and Ryan Callus accused the government of seeking to bury the truth behind the death of Jean-Paul Sofi.
“A public inquiry should be held so we can learn from this tragedy and save other people’s lives. You should be ashamed for trying to politicise our support for Sofia’s mother,” Caruana CIlia told the government benches as he held up her picture.
“It has been almost six months since this tragedy. I cannot fathom what his parents are going through. But they and people out there are questioning why the government was resisting a public inquiry.
Is it because names and breaches of regulations will be uncovered? Who are you defending? With a public inquiry, we will achieve justice not only for Jean Paul but can possibly avoid any more innocent victims of greed,” he added.
“Jean-Paul Sofia's case is a black mark on the government. The magisterial inquiry is under way but many still do not understand the insistence not to order a public inquiry. Such a serious and dramatic case and the government keeps resisting it. No one can bring Jean-Paul back but we must do whatever we can to change whatever is wrong and avoid similar incidents in the future,” Callus said.
“This is not a witch hunt but a public inquiry that can pinpoint deficiencies in the system. An incident like this where a new building fell like a house of cards, needs to be investigated through a public inquiry,” he added.
Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg compared the government’s economic policy of importing foreign workers with the slaves who built the pyramids in Egypt. He mentioned another worker who recently died in a construction accident and not only was he not mentioned, but a magisterial inquiry into his death is yet to begin.
PN MP Ivan Castillo spoke about how the OHSA’s 35 employees were taking industrial action after the authority failed to present its counter-proposals. for a new collective agreement
In reply, Zrinzo Azzopardi said the government had urged the presiding magistrate to conclude her magisterial inquiry on Sofia's death at the earliest. He said the OHSA's work, apart from enforcement and inspections, must also be geared towards prevention and the introduction of a culture of health and safety at the workplace.