MEA accuse Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said of ‘misinterpreting’ employers’ nominations

“Chris Said is wrong when he is saying that he received two lists from the employers’ groups. There was only one list for employers as Farrugia’s list did not come from any of the recognised employers’ groups in Malta,” MEA Director-General Joseph Farrugia told MaltaToday.

“He is using this excuse to lump Farrugia’s nomination to the EESD on employers,” Farrugia insisted.

Moreover, the Prime Minister “has not commented a single word” on the alleged agreement between GRTU and MEA, the MEA Director-General added.

Asked whether MEA was ready to enter into discussions with the Government, Farrugia explained how the Association was ready to enter into discussion with the Government. “However the Government first has to recognise its mistakes,” he insisted.

In a statement issued earlier today, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Public Dialogue and Consultation has stated that employers’ organisations on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development had failed to agree on submitting one list of nominees for appointment to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

One of these lists proposed Stefano Mallia from the Chamber of Commerce and Lawrence Mizzi from the Malta Employers Association; the other list proposed GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia.

The parliamentary secretariat had said the government “will try to find a solution to the dispute in any particular sector, where possible… government sees the MEA’s voice in MCESD to be in the national interest.”

Yesterday, the Malta Employers Association (MEA) announced that it was suspending its participation from all structures of social dialogue in which the Government was involved over GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia’s nomination to the European Economic and Social Committee – a forum of civil society groups that consult with the EU at all levels – despite the fact that the GRTU was not an employers’ organisation as prescribed by EESC rules.

On his part, GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia had brushed off accusations by the MEA that his nomination to the EESC is ‘illegal’.

Farrugia insisted MEA’s director Joseph Farrugia was only showing his “petty jealousies” at not being appointed to the EESC, and that the MEA was “bonkers” to have withdrawn from the MCESD in protest.