Casa Paola elderly home threatened employees to leave union

Employees working in the Casa Paola elderly home in Paola have been pressured and threatened to forfeit their union membership, MaltaToday has learnt.

A number of employees, mostly third country nationals, have described being warned by their managers about membership in union Solidarjeta.

Last week, the union announced industrial action at the Paola home after management refused to enter negotiations on a collective agreement. The action was also in response to what the union described as “retaliatory and intimidatory behaviour” by the home’s management towards employees who joined its ranks.

According to multiple employees who spoke to MaltaToday on condition of anonymity, the issue started when their shifts started to change. The employees used to work 11-hour shifts on a day-in-day-out basis.

Employees started feeling overworked when their hours changed and their shifts shortened, so they could not meet the required monthly hours. To make up for this, the management would call employees on their off days or while they are on leave so they can cover for sick colleagues.

Some employees even stated that their vacation leave would be reduced if they did not meet their monthly hours.

This, and other working conditions, encouraged the employees to become members of Solidarjeta. When the Casa Paola management heard of this, they started to ask employees why they felt the need to join the union. Dylan Bezzina, CEO of Lyons Group, which operates the home, became personally involved in such talks.

After some time, some of the foreign employees were being told that their work permits and contracts would not be renewed. Other employees said that their colleagues were told that their work permits and contracts would only be renewed if they leave the union.

Refusal to recognise Solidarjeta

The management slammed the door on any discussions with Solidarjeta with the home’s CEO, Dylan Bezzina, refuting the union’s recognition on the workplace despite being shown a verification report from the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER).

When DIER eventually stepped in and tried to mediate between Solidarjeta and Casa Paola, the company refused to attend the meeting.

MaltaToday reached out to Casa Paola’s management for comment but no response was forthcoming.

Meanwhile, Solidarjeta initiated a formal trade dispute after its members voted to take industrial action.

Since Saturday, a number of directives came into force, including the refusal of unscheduled shifts with less than 24 hours’ notice unless they are paid at the applicable overtime rate, and declining duties that fall outside employees’ designated roles.

Union members will also limit certain tasks, including accompanying only one resident at a time to hospital or medical appointments and washing a maximum of six residents per shift.