The industrial tribunal has ordered the management of a hotel to pay a former employee Lm4,000 in damages, after it ruled that the reason given for his termination of employment was unjustified and insufficient.

Gaetano Tanti, who was a gardener at the Qawra Palace Hotel, was dismissed without notice by the management of the hotel on 7 September 2006. This took place after Mr Tanti had been told to sow some plants, but as this was not technically possible, he had not managed to carry out the order he had been given.

The industrial tribunal took into consideration the three reasons given for his dismissal by the management which, it said, were conflicting.

Mr Tanti said that the hotel management had terminated his employment as a result of disciplinary action taken against him, but the management had sent a termination form to the Employment and Training Centre on 11 September, in which it said the employee had been made redundant.

The tribunal also noted that a few days later, the hotel management had signed a contract with Sun Island Nurseries for gardening services.

Testifying in court, the managing director of the hotel Edward Vella, as well as general manager Tony Alamango, said that Mr Tanti was lazy and that none of the hotel’s departments required his services.

The tribunal ruled that, although the hotel management had made certain allegations against Mr Tanti, they had not supported their argument with any proof and the reasons given were unjustified and insufficient.

The tribunal ordered the hotel management to pay Mr Tanti Lm1,000 immediately and Lm500 a month for six months, with effect from the end of March.

Dr Jose Herrera and Dr Deborah Delceppo appeared for Mr Tanti.