In the letter, signed by Senior Manager of Human Resources Teddy Cilia, the Maltapost employees were told that in view of their “unauthorised absence from work”, they were suspended without pay for two days and that they were to attend work in Malta on Monday 5 April.

The situation began on 22 March when the employees – seven in all – received a letter from the company’s management informing them that they were to start reporting for work at a branch in Malta. Having had to travel from Gozo to Malta and back on a daily basis between 1996 and 2000 before being transferred to work in Gozo, the employees knew that they were about to endure the same hardship they had experienced for four years.

Maltapost sent its company doctor to the employees’ homes on Wednesday but he did not issue medical certificates that would justify their absence from work. However, their personal doctors certified that they were suffering anxiety, stress and depression and thus were “not fit” for work. These doctors issued the appropriate medical certificates.

In the meantime, Maltapost told the employees to visit a specialist in his clinic in Mosta on Thursday. Explaining to The Malta Independent, one of the transferred workers said that the employees refused to attend this session since article 7.11.3.4.of their collective agreement prohibits them from leaving their house. “The employee must remain at home during the sickness period unless he is authorised to do otherwise in writing by the company’s doctor or any other medical doctor in the eventuality that the company doctor does not visit the sick employee,” says the collective agreement. The employee said that the doctor did not even examine them medically, let alone authorise them, in writing, to visit the specialist.

The employee said that they received the last letter from the company on Thursday evening. They were told that in view of their “unauthorised absence from work on 30 March and 1 April” they were suspended without pay for two days.

The company also told them that this disciplinary action would be recorded in their personal file for the next five years and that if they were to breach the code of discipline of the collective agreement again, they would be dismissed without any further dispute.

The employee said that regarding authorised absence from work, the collective agreement states: “The employee will be liable to a written warning and possibly to a suspension without pay for a period not exceeding one working day. The report shall be included in the employee’s personal file and shall remain active for a period of one year.”

The employee said that the punishment handed out by the company went beyond the collective agreement and that in view of the breach of the collective agreement, they had informed their unions to take appropriate action.

The employees added that they have been denied the right to defend themselves against the company’s accusation of having breached sick leave conditions.

Ever since The Malta Independent started writing about this matter, Maltapost has consistently declined to make any comments. The last time the company was contacted (on Thursday), Public Relations Officer Tony Barbaro Sant said that since it was an internal matter, the company did not wish to comment.