The Chamber of Advocates condemned the declarations made by General Workers Union secretary general Tony Zarb on lawyer Pawlu Lia on Wednesday.
Mr Zarb had harsh words to say about the lawyer who is appearing on behalf of MUBE in a BOV-recognition-related case.
Mr Zarb said the lawyer is sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other. He must decide who he is to defend, Mr Zarb said.
Dr Paul Lia many times appears on behalf of the Labour Party leaders. One such case was his recent appearance alongside Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the House of Representatives' Privileges Committee facing Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil.
MUBE had initiated court proceedings against GWU and because of this, Mr Zarb claimed, the collective agreement signing has been delayed by six months.
Mr Zarb defied Dr Lia to prove his assertion that BOV employees had been pressed to declare they wanted to join GWU.
In its statement, the Chamber said it is not acceptable that a lawyer who is doing his duty is attacked in such a personal way.
The chamber believes that what Mr Zarb did was tantamount to an attempt to hinder Dr Lia in the course of his duties.
In a separate statement, the Malta Union of Bank Employees - MUBE strongly condemns the personal attacks made by the General Secretary of the GWU on Dr. Paul Lia regarding his line of defence of MUBE’s position during an Industrial Tribunal sitting regarding recognition at BOV.
MUBE is also extremely shocked at the GWU statement regarding the fact that an established trade union such as the GWU feels it can dictate to a lawyer who he may or may not take on as a client. This is extremely unprofessional and very much unwarranted.
Furthermore, MUBE categorically denies media reports stating that MUBE initiated proceedings against the GWU.
In reply, the GWU categorically denied that Mr Zarb attacked or tried in any way to hinder Dr Paul Lia from doing his duty as MUBE lawyer. What the secretary general stressed for was that Dr Lia has to substantiate his allegations that the check-off system on which trade union recognition was based at BoV was vitiated and that BoV employees had a pistol to their heads to join the GWU. Mr Zarb insisted also that, if Dr. Lia had concrete proof of the allegations he made he could go and file a report with the police.
The GWU on its part maintains that the Chamber of Advocates and the MUBE will be committing a grave mistake if they think that the GWU will not react to defend itself against allegations that puts it in a bad light, made by someone, be a lawyer or not.
If Dr Paul Lia was, according to the Chamber of Advocates, doing his work as a lawyer, Mr Zarb was doing his duty as secretary general to defend the Union against frivolous allegations.