Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/776046
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 JANUARY 2017 26 Letters They were once the proud staff of the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, serving the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, and footballing legend George Best. Today however, they are busy offloading stones, painting walls, redoing the electricity and plumbing works, and working as security officers at the construction site outside the former hotel that will be turned into a mega apartment complex. In an unlikely turn of events for the Holiday Inn hotel staff, the 108 workers whose salaries were being paid by new owner George Muscat since the hotel closed down, have been told to resume work on the hotel's construction site – turning former managers, chefs, waiters and housekeepers into construction work- ers, plasterers, and builders. With four injuries already reported at the new workplace, workers met with union representatives on Friday to discuss their new employment. Entrepreneur George Muscat, whose interests straddle a myriad of development companies such as Bay Street Holdings, Legend Real Estate and Tigné Estates, ac- cepted to provide alternative employment for the former Holiday Inn staff back in 2006 when government started negotia- tions to sell the hotel and the neighbour- ing Fort Cambridge for Lm23.3 million. And the new employment has certainly turned out to be "alternative". A list of the new duties assigned, seen by MaltaToday, shows that from commandeering an army of chefs, the executive head chef and his head chef, the demis chefs de partie and commis chef have been turned into build- ers and painters. Restaurant managers, receptionists, duty managers, waiters, front-office cashiers, porters, accounts clerks and secretaries have been told to take care of the plumb- ing and electrical works. And four chambermaids have been entrusted with solitary postings at night outside the construction site as security officers. Four other workers are believed to have been sent off working on another construction site. Altogether they have been busy building walls, removing beams and wires, clearing way debris, working with jiggers to bring down walls, plastering, digging founda- tions and clearing debris – overnight turned into construction workers with no form of experience or safety training. "We have lost our dignity," one of the former caterers from the former Air Malta told this newspaper. "Our head chef is out- side offloading stones from the truck, and we are told to remove beams, or electrical wires, without supervision. We haven't all been given safety gear, and I fear a tragedy is a about to happen." In just the first week of work on the con- struction site, four injuries were reported. Two workers were injured when stone bricks fell on their feet, while another worker fell off a ladder and another was injured when a door collapsed upon him. On Thursday a surprise inspection by the Occupational Health and Safety Au- thority (OHSA) found that not all workers had been given hard-hats and safety boots. The onsite supervisor was summoned to a meeting at the OHSA on Friday. OHSA chief Mark Gauci however would not divulge information about the case as long as it is under review, deeming it "unethical" and against OHSA policy. While workers at the Holiday Inn said they were threatened with fines by an OHSA inspector for not wearing safety equipment, claiming the company had not provided everyone with safety hats and boots, the authority denied this. "The OHS officer told the employees it was in their interest and also their obligation to safeguard their occupational health and safety," Gauci said, who added that the law lays part of the responsibil- ity on workers as well. "One must keep in mind that it is 'the duty of an employer to ensure the health and safety at all times of all persons who may be affected by the work being carried out for such employer… provided further that the workers' obligations in the field of occu- pational health and safety shall not affect the principle of the responsibility of the employer'," Gauci said. An OHSA source said George Muscat had failed to file a risk assessment four weeks prior to the start of the works. According to the transfer of undertak- ing of the Holiday Inn, Muscat agreed to ensure employment up to 41 years, for the youngest employee, right up to pension- able age. Speaking to MaltaToday, General Work- ers Union secretary Josef Bugeja said the original premise was that the alternative employment had to be within catering or hospitality. "Nobody was aware of this option. The construction work cannot be accepted due to health and safety risks involved. The industrial relations law also lays down that any transfer of work is conditional on the level of expertise and skills of the worker in question." Bugeja said the union will be trying to balance the demands of both employer and workers in ensuing discussions over their employment. The government and George Muscat signed a promise-of-sale agreement at the turn of the new year after reports that he had lost his Lm100,000 bid bond follow- ing his failure to sign the multi-million contract on November 30, 2006. Muscat had been paying Lm50,000 in salaries every month to the former Holiday Inn employees until last No- vember. With government intending to move ahead with negotiations with other bidders after Muscat refused to sign the contract, he stopped paying the salaries. In December 2006, he insisted with sister newspaper Business Today he had found no problem raising the capital necessary for the project, which he said is estimated to reach Lm50 million for just the first phase. His Lm23.3 million offer for the Cambridge development brief comes with an obligation to restore the Fort Cambridge and retain the old part of the Holiday Inn. Muscat intends develop- ing six apartment blocks of 386 units and a four-level underground car park. Holiday Inn chefs, managers turned into construction workers News – 21 January, 2007 Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Timely article on deceased estates Faith and religious happiness I am a Maltese-born Australian migrant who happened to be in Malta for the last month. From a professional background, I have worked in the financial services industry for more than 25 years in Australia and was quite surprised, and annoyed by what my family was going through with BOV in attempt- ing to access the funds after my uncle passed away more than 14 months ago. I was so enraged by BOV's behaviour and lack of respect for the old and vulnerable, that I decided to contact the Finan- cial Ombudsman. Cutting a long story short, I was hand- balled to another organisation, and then again to finally speak to Geoffrey Bezzina at the Of- fice of the Arbiter for Financial Services. The matter is conveniently now resolved after I had been formally pursuing the mat- ter with Mr Bezzina and your timely article ('Notaries miffed at nightmarish delays in BOV succession processing', 15 Janu- ary). It was simply music to my ears – thank you. Having experienced mat- ters associated with deceased estates (that's what we call the service in Australia) with the passing of my father last year, my financial services experi- ence in compliance, specifically in this very area – and seeing the stark difference in the way Maltese banks, particularly BOV, handle these matters – is an eye-opener; to a point that I will find a way to reach the appropriate authorities and the Prime Minister, if need be, to share my experience. I was completely dumbfound- ed by the replies I received from the Office of the Arbiter for Financial Services and op- erational procedures purported to be standard practices in Malta. Although not relevant to my family's situation, I found it interesting and still can- not believe (although I didn't have the time to research and validate) that a joint account held by a deceased person and partner (often husband and wife) could be frozen, pending such an archaic procedure. I question as to whether this is factually Maltese law/bank policy or simply "always done that way" and not challenged. Mark Bonello Australia Bank reassures general public The Notarial Council of Malta and Bank of Valletta's Legal Sec- tion in reference to the article published in MaltaToday on Sunday, 8 January, 2017 (Notaries miffed at 'nightmarish' delay in BOV succession process- ing), would like to reassure the general public and esteemed BOV customers, that both entities are working together to guarantee a seamless and timely service. Whilst regretting any inconven- ience that may have been caused in isolated cases, the bank and the council confirm that consultation is ongoing to ensure that meas- ures are implemented on both sides to actively and effectively address all issues. The bank would also like to encourage its customers to make use of its customer support ser- vices on +35621312020 or https:// www.bov.com/content/get-in- touch-with-us Joyce Tabone Media and Community Relations Bank of Valletta I would like to inform John Guillaumier that religious hap- piness is a reality which can be acquired during one's lifetime. St Teresa of Lisieux's (pic- tured) short lifespan of 24 years provides us with a perfect exam- ple of extending a gentle word, friendship and a smile whenever the opportunity arises. The other Teresa Margaret of 23 years was locked in her room kneeling in prayer when two exceptionally beautiful young men (angels) appeared by her side. As she was about to speak to them, one of them said to her: "Anna Maria, always be cheerful and happy, for Jesus is to be your spouse". The child's heart flooded with sweetness throughout her short life. But why delve into distant past mystics' lives when I can quote Pope Francis' exhortation to 6,000 novices and seminarians on July 6, 2013: I like to see a happy face on priests and not a long, sad face that gives the impression that someone has thrown a sodden heavy blanket over their lives. And the Church itself must be neither a "well organized" NGO nor a "grandmother" or "old spinster" but a fertile, welcom- ing, caressing mother. The same goes for the faithful. Unlike those who "seem to have an air of Lent without Easter about them", a Christian cannot be sad. Since life can be very hard, one has to allow the joy of faith to awaken "like a ray of light that springs from the personal certainty of being infinitely lived beyond anything" by the Lord. "Tears are glassed for seeing Jesus." Or later on November 26: When we are close to the Lord, we will have joy in our heart and a smile on our lips because He gives us life in abundance. John Azzopardi Zabbar