Scorned TVHEMM presenter Norman Vella files protest against redeployment
Norman Vella says redeployment to old post in immigration department after six years in public broadcasting, not according to public service code’s parameters.
17 July 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Norman Vella is protesting the revocation of his 'broadcasting redeployment'
TVHEMM presenter Norman Vella has filed a judicial protest in court against his redeployment to his former post in the civil service, in a writ signed by lawyer Andrew Borg Cardona, the Times columnist.
Vella, an immigration officer, benefited from an unprecedented five years' unpaid leave from his post to work as a producer for Where's Everybody on the programmes Xarabank and Biografiji, despite there being no policy for unpaid leave beyond three years. He was later seconded to the Public Broadcasting Services' newsroom on a request to the Office of the Prime Minister by chief executive Anton Attard.
Earning a minimum of €35,000 to present the daily current affairs programme TVHEMM, also a Where's Everybody production, his PBS employment was revoked on 6 June at the end of the programme's run by the new principal permanent secretary.
Vella is claiming in his protest that the revocation of his broadcasting redeployment does not fulfill specific criteria laid out in the public service management code, namely: that the revocation of his PBS secondment should have taken place on his request or PBS's, or due to the exigencies of the immigration department where he worked.
Vella is claiming that since the Office of the Prime Minister had declared that the request for the revocation came from PBS, something which PBS chairman Tonio Portughese had denied to Vella, there was no reason for his redeployment owing to exigencies within the immigration department.
The judicial protest awaits a reply from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Vella has already claimed that the decision by the Office of the Prime Minister to revoke his deployment at the national broadcaster was a "political" one.
In his ten-month stint, stretching from September 2012 to June 2013, Vella earned around €34,000 for presenting TVHEMM five times a week. When the civil service could no longer extend his unpaid leave beyond five years, PBS asked that he be seconded to its newsroom on a €1,400 monthly wage, even though Vella was rarely seen at the Gwardamangia offices. He earned an additional €100 per programme to present TVHEMM.
Vella benefited from the civil service's maximum three-year unpaid leave to work for Where's Everybody, but was later granted an additional two years by formed civil service head Godwin Grima even though the public service management code had not been updated to allow for such long periods of unpaid leave.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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After 1987 , following a change of government my earnings went down by Lm100 a month , Lm50 as a board member and Lm50 as part of the Difensuri tax-Xerrejja.
When I used to discuss this with some of my "friends"
they used to argue that all board members are changed following a change of government while the Difensuri tax-Xerrejja was disbanded!Are they using the same argument in the case of Norman Vella?
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Norman Vili, ups sorry Vella, miskin irid lill-Prim Ministru jtieħ spjegazzjoni għalfejn reġa intbagħat lura f'postu wara li kien ilu jmexmixha tajjeb fil-PBS. Wiċċu u $ormu xorta il-boy. Hawn xi ħadd li jmur jaħdem f'post ieħor u jzommulu il-post li kellu riservat għaliħ għall aktar min 5 snin?
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Iridha hobbla u tredda Norman! Jien tlabt study leave u anqas tawuli ghal ma kontx ippriviliggat Bhalek! Gerger ukoll !Aghti cans lil haddiehor, Jew m,hawn hadd Bhalek! Min jobzoq l-fuq jigi fuqu!
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Find an labor idiot to claim that it was a vindictive transfer and you have more reason to complain.
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Andrew borg cardona qed jidhol fil-frejjeg.
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nixtieq nista inkompli il frazi kollha "xwicc imcappas bil -h....
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What he is REALLY protesting about is the big loss of income for doing next to bugger all. Welcome back to the real world, chummy!
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It seems to me that it was the extension of Norman Vella's unpaid leave which was outside the parameters of the Public Service Management Code and I am of the view that two weights and two measures were employed for his benefit. It also seems that he has outgrown his boots so much that it is he who decides what are the exigencies of the Public Service. In my opinion, he is typical of those scarcely qualified or plainly unqualified public employees promoted to key positions by the PN government only to put on airs and convince themselves that they are the best, the most deserving and the most untouchable. I often got the impression that this presenter was mediocre, unqualified by way of culture and knowledge and had no idea how a professional presenter should behave. I believe he was one of the least impartial when it came to political matters discussed during his programmes.
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It seems that Norman Vella has not yet grasp that his time on TVM is up. He is a Government employee and he is getting back his post. Why all the fuss? He must remember that while be was being paid by TVM as an employee he was also being paid as a presenter. That's why he wants to remain. Norman,remember one thing: You and your ilk has taken the place of loyal PBS employees transferred to the public service, serving as clerk. So why the fuss if you revert to your clerical job.
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Ma xbajtx iddardar lil bicca l-kbira tal-Maltin u l-Ghawdxin bil-ksuhat u l-pruzunzjonijiet tieghek Norman? Rajna bizzejjed purcinellati. Good riddance!
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I know what you’re feeling but you’re a civil servant like I used to be and I never took anybody’s place /job either. I have gone through hell under the previous Governments, i.e Fenech Adami and Lawrence Gonzi’s regimes. Maurice Agius , God rests his soul told me when in 1987 I was a member of the UHM, “these happened, they are happening now and they will continue to happen in the future”, that’s part of being a civil servant.
According to a DCS from the ex Government’s Finance Department and under the then Minister Tonio Fenech Government employees can be transferred / redeployed according to the exigencies of the civil service. In fact I was informed by this Gentleman that my place at the CDT was no longer available. This wasn’t because my job was being made redundant but it was for political reasons. I was the System Administrator there and used to issue refunds as my main job. I taught the employees both in Malta and at the Gozo Branch how to use the computer and the in house programs, and I wasn’t even given the allowance due to that Job. A lot of people can vouch for me that even if it wasn’t my duty I used to try my utmost to help them in any of there problems . I was transferred to the VAT Department after 23 years in CDT, after some time after being Framed UP. When I went to the VAT Department the War Council from VAT Dept was summoned and the DG there didn't want me there at no cost ( I was neither a murder, robber or a criminal. After a year I was re transferred to the Ministry of Justice, then after another Year I was transferred to the Law Courts where as I have blogged various time I was transferred to the archives section were I was supposed to carry boxes (my grade was that of middle management) Another thing was a the Director of the CC didn't want me in his section and this was said on telephone to the DG of the Law courts in my presence at the DG’s Office.
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Norman you now have a pretty good chance of winning your case with Andrew Borg Cardona as your lawyer.
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And what could one expect from ImBocca and the self proclamed journalist (or journalist wannabe) Norman Vella? Norman Vella is a civil servant just like ALL the civil servants, and his employer IS the government.
Joseph Catania •
Tajjeb li nghidu li skond il-Public Service Management Code, l-unika impjegati mac-civil li huma intitolati ghal dawn it-tliet snin leave huma dawk li huma minn skala 14 'l isfel, jigifieri l-fattigi, purtinara, messaggiera, etc. L-ebda immigration officer ma hu fuq skala 15 'l isfel, jigifieri anke f'dan il-leave kien hemm abbuz mill-Public Service Commission. Dan il-leave fl-ahhar aggronament zdied ghal 5 snin pero xorta l-istess regolamenti hallew: http://pahro.gov.mt/chapter-4-8.
Joseph Catania •
Tajjeb li nghidu li skond il-Public Service Management Code, l-unika impjegati mac-civil li huma intitolati ghal dawn it-tliet snin leave huma dawk li huma minn skala 14 'l isfel, jigifieri l-fattigi, purtinara, messaggiera, etc. L-ebda immigration officer ma hu fuq skala 15 'l isfel, jigifieri anke f'dan il-leave kien hemm abbuz mill-Public Service Commission. Dan il-leave fl-ahhar aggronament zdied ghal 5 snin pero xorta l-istess regolamenti hallew: http://pahro.gov.mt/chapter-4-8.
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Malta need you Mr Vella,as immigration officer may you and your leader Simon Buzullotti find a solution on illegal immigrants.
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Surprise Surprise it's Andrew Borg Cardona who is helping him another PN lacky!
Norman you should be thankful you have a job to go back to at the pay grade you had. Talk about wanting your cake and eat it!
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Get a real job Mr. Vella.
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There are no other words accept favours for blue eyed boys, and corruption corruption corruption from the top to the inner circle. Can PN really croitise the nitty gritty of PL in Government and remain credible?
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What cheek!!!! What arrogance!!!! Who does he think he is to tell the Minister or his department whether his services are required at any particular department? Does he think tat he is some demigod? Has he ever read his contract of service with the government where he can be transferred anywhere within the government departments as required? Did you think that you were transferred on perpetual emphyteusis? You've had it too good for too long boy. Now it's time to go back to your proper job and if you don't like it RESIGN and go to register for employment.
