With reference to Mary Camilleri’s letter of 27 May entitled “Blind justice”, I would like to confirm what she said. It is the ultimate contradiction of society that it is the average man who gives politicians power and all the material benefits that go with the job. So it is truly frustrating and insulting when these politicians treat its citizens with disrespect and unfairness.
What else can one say when the Ministry of Education still refuses to give arrears awarded by the Ombudsman unless I accept them as a favour and renounce any other legal claims I might assume to have regarding them? This must truly be an “Only in Malta” situation. True justice would dictate I get 100 per cent of what is due to me plus interest, not 40 per cent! True justice would dictate the offender making an apology and not giving the silent treatment regarding questions raised in a letter to Mr Schiavone − they say silence is an admission of guilt. What does the Minister of Education expect me to say when a non-Maltese, Peter Davies of Air Malta, is being paid €500,000? When I applied for a teaching position in 1994, a time when there was a desperate need for teachers, I was promised a regular teaching position. In the end I was given a casual teacher position, with considerable financial loss, all because I had no vote at the time, though this was proved not so with the clause in dual citizenship documents, which stated that those foreign-born, like me, were Maltese since 1964 − am I to say thank you for such discrimination? Mr Davies is being paid more than any Maltese! When I presented my case to the Minister of Education, instead of carrying out an investigation into my accusation of discrimination, the Minister emailed me claiming there was no discrimination since I was offered “an alternative position” − an unbelievable statement that insults the intelligence of even a one-brain-celled organism!
The Ministry of Education has failed to justify its stance regarding the arrears situation and has never given any convincing arguments regarding my accusations of discrimination. I appeal to common sense and justice. If the government has the money to spend many, many thousands to pave Victoria’s main road for the Lejliet Lapsi weekend, only to tear it up again on Monday, then I am sure it can afford the measly hundreds owed to me. Besides, you’ll still be 60 per cent ahead since the Ombudsman only granted me five out of the 12 years!
There is an election around the corner − it is not wise to “bite the hand that will cast the vote”.
Joe Falzon
Qala