A part-time employee yesterday filed a judicial protest against his employers, the Eden Foundation and the Eden Cooperative Society, claiming he had been discriminated against.
The protest, which was filed in the First Hall of the Civil Court, was also filed against the National Employment Authority and the National Commission for Persons with a Disability (KNPD).
James Vassallo explained that he had been working as a part-time production assistant with the Eden Cooperative Society since 24 August 1998.
He said that he received a letter dated 12 July from the Eden Cooperative Society that informed him that, due to its precarious financial situation and a cost-cutting exercise, the society will eventually be liquidated and, as a result, his employment will be terminated today.
Mr Vassallo claimed that he found out that people with a disability who were employed with the Eden Cooperative Society had their employment terminated while people without a disability still had a job.
He said that the Eden Foundation and Eden Cooperative Society’s actions are discriminatory and in breach of the Persons with Disability Employment Act that states that an employer cannot terminate the employment of a person with a disability if the number of registered employees with a disability is lower than the established quota.
Mr Vassallo then informed the National Employment Authority through a legal letter but the authority did not tackle the issue.
In the protest, Mr Vassallo said he also informed the KNPD who stated in their reply that, according to their legal advisor, the Eden Cooperative Society were not discriminating against Mr Vassallo’s disability.
Furthermore, he added, even though he called on the Eden Foundation and the Eden Cooperative Society to revoke their decision to terminate his employment through a legal letter, these did not reply within the 10-day time frame as stated in the law.
Mr Vassallo, therefore, called on the two companies to revoke their decision as stated in the letter they sent him on 12 July and holds them for all damages incurred.
Dr Ivan Sammut and Dr Sharon Mizzi signed the writ.