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Former Nationalist aides fight transfer from pre-electoral postings
PN ministers' aides who landed jobs at the Kunsill Malti tal-iSport days before elections, file protest against government over transfers
9 August 2013, 12:00am
Chris Mangion
Chris Mangion
2 min read
Colin Calleja (left) was a private secretary to Nationalist finance minister Tonio Fenech before being given a KMS post
Six employees of the National Sports Council (Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport - KMS) who landed their jobs after losing their jobs as ministerial aides in the aftermath of the 2013 general elections, have filed a judicial protest against the government demanding they be reinstated in their posts within 24 hours, or face legal action.
The six employees are Silvan Bugeja, 29 of Luqa - formerly spokesperson in the education ministry; Angelito Sciberras, 44 of Naxxar - formerly spokesperson in the parliamentary secretariat for sports and youth; Roderick Vella, 30 of Qormi - formerly a senior agricultural officer in the education ministry - Robert Attard, 36 of Lija - formerly the private secretary to the finance minister; Colin Calleja, 36 and currently the chief executive of the KMS, also a former private secretary to the finance minister; and Saviour Farrugia, 50 of Santa Venera - formerly working in the Office of the Prime Minister.
The six were removed from their government ministries and placed inside the KMS prior to the March ballots, but on 3 August they were informed that their postings would be revoked by the KMS chairman.
Additionally, Angelito Sciberrras and Roderick Vella's request to be seconded to a voluntary organisation, was also refused.
All are alleging that the revocation of their jobs is politically motivated in view of their previous jobs with PN-led ministries and threatened that should the government not change its stand and revoke its decision they will take legal action to uphold their rights.
They also claim they are the victims of "mudslinging by the media" following the change in government, specifically over 11 parliamentary questions tabled over their employment at KMS.
"The aim of such attacks is to portray us as redundant staff whose work is not needed and depict out salaries as a financial burden on KMS," their protest reads.
They also said their personal files were passed to an auditor who carried a staff audit at KMS.
A request to meet the parliamentary secretary for youth and sport, Stefan Buontempo, had not been accepted yet.
The protest was filed against Minister of Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Stefan Buontempo, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Employment James Calleja and KMS Chairman Jonathan Barbara.
It was signed by Dr Ian Spiteri Bailey.
Chris Mangion is MaltaToday’s photojournalist, joining the newspaper in 2013.
In 1995...
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There must be many expectations among the 50Kvoters (swing and abstained voters) that redressing past injustices and preventing new ones are electoral mandate benchmarks.
Though an injustice should not be corrected with another, some people can only understand when what goes around comes around!
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There must be many expectations among the 50Kvoters (swing and abstained voters) that redressing past injustices and preventing new ones are electoral mandate benchmarks.
Though an injustice should not be corrected with another, some people can only understand when what goes around comes around!
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Tad-dahq
veru pulcinelli egoisti u arroganti.
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Jekk tridu tibqaw "terdaw", ghandi job tajjeb ghalikom .....cempluli w ma jiddispjecikom'x !!
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L-impjiegi taghhom saru skond il-procedura jew kienu mpjegati f'cushy jobs malajr, bl-ghaggla? Ghax Alla jbierek kollha spiccaw bil-guh!!! Halluna xbin.
Luke Camilleri •
Why?
With all their talents aren't they employable at all by anybody?
How did they land the jobs in the first place? where they the only and the best for these posts and SO GOOD that NO PUBLIC CALL WAS ISSUED as no one could compete with such qualifications, experience and competence?
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Were these "government employees" civil servants or working with the government under a definite contract. A few weeks after the election I've met many people who argued that the new government sacked many government employees but none of these were civil servants. It seems that this is just a test case , so that if they win their case others may follow suite!
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Id-diskriminazzjoni politika saret ma dawn is-sitt bazuzli nghataw "cushy job" ftit sieghat biss qabel spicca l-gvern. Dan kien skandlu u hu skandlu akbar li jaghmlu protest fil-qorti biex jibqghu izommu pozizzjoni li haduha bil-qerq.
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ukolllllllllllll ara jkunux responsabbli biex jghallmu t tfal tat tfal ukoll....jafu li kien hemm elezzjoni fid 9 ta marzu dawn jew
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At least they are tasting and swallowing their own medicine. Mr Calleja you and your ministry did a great harm on me and family but its high time that you pay the price. Good luck
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Iridu jibqghu igawdu minn fuq dahar il poplu u jikkmandaww huma, l anqas jisthu minn alla li halaqhom. Tal pn ma jinbidlu qatt, dizgustanti.
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Imsieken! Indeed, once a leech always a leech. Perhaps they should seek employment with the PN.
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So PN political apparatchiks are claiming discrimination? How about those who had better qualifications and were left out because they were not blue eyed boys?
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All government employees can be transferred according to the exigences of the government service. If they don't like it they are free to leave the public service. I think that their lawyer should have known this.
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Good riddance to Angelito Sciberras is in order! He made a mess wherever he was!
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What a cheek. They are transferred from the Ministries, where they clearly held political jobs, just prior to the election and when caught out they try and justify the fact when no appointments or transfers should have been made once the election campaign was announced. Is this the work of the former Principal Permanent Secretary too and if so how is it that he has not been arraigned in Court for abuse of the Civil Service Code, to say the least. These are similar to the meteoric rise of Rita Schembri within the Civil Service and we all know the result.
