Speaking to The Malta Independent, the employees said they were on sick leave after doctors certified them “not fit” for work. The doctors said the employees were suffering from anxiety, stress and depression.

On their first day at their new workplaces, all seven employees who have been transferred from Gozo to Malta reported sick for work. Before this day, the postal workers were on forced leave and were awaiting a positive outcome to several meetings between the management and representatives of both unions.

On the same day, the company doctor visited the employees individually. According to one employee, the doctor said that even though he knew that they were stressed and depressed, he could not issue a medical certificate because the company had instructed him not to do so. However, they got their medical certificates and prescriptions from their personal general practitioners.

The employee continued that soon after the company doctor’s visit, they informed the Maltapost Human Resources Department that the company doctor had not examined them medically. Later, they received a reply saying that on 1 April (yesterday) they had to go to Mosta to visit a specialist provided by the company.

However, since they were not in a condition to travel to Malta to see a specialist, the employees asked the company to send the specialist to Gozo but never received a reply about this.

The employee said that late on Tuesday evening, the Gozo Ministry informed the employees at a meeting between the Maltapost management and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin was scheduled for yesterday, an hour before the first appointment with the specialist. The employees refused to attend the meeting because of their health condition and asked for the meeting to be held in Gozo. On this, the employees also have no confirmation.

Meanwhile, contacted for comments, Maltapost public relations officer Tony Barbaro Sant said: “This is an internal matter. We would rather not comment about this issue at the moment.”