Female port worker awarded €800,000 for gender discrimination

The First Hall of Civil Court presided by Mr. Justice Silvio Meli has awarded €800,000 in damages to Victoria Cassar for sustaining gender discrimination, when the Port Workers Board refused to recognise her right to work, after inheriting her father's licence to work as a port worker.

In his judgment, Mr. Justice Meli said that the damages sustained were the result of an "undignified attitude" adopted by the board, as well as other competent authorities, for ignoring three different judgements and refused to grant Cassar her right to work as a port worker after inheriting her deceased father's licence, as is customary at the ports.

While liquidating the damages at €799,168, the court ordered that the damages be paid by the Port Workers Board, which is today regulated by Transport Malta.

Victoria Cassar, the eldest of siblings born to Carmelo Abela had died in 1992 and the board had refused to issue her a licence to work as a port worker, on the premise that the licence is transferred only to the first born son.

Cassar had initiated legal procedures in 1993 to win her right to inherit her father's licence and insisted on gender discrimination.

Three previous judgments had ruled in her favour, until today's judgement which liquidated the damages.