Resignation of BA chairperson could sabotage Cardona’s Ministry relocation plans

Following the resignation of BA chairperson Tanya Borg Cardona yesterday, the authority board members will now be reviewing the decision to relocate to Valletta.

Sources within the UĦM Voice of the Workers, the union heading the industrial action which led to the resignation of Borg Cardona, said that the union will be pressuring the competent authorities to carry out the certification for the new premises in Valletta to confirm if the Melita Street property is adequate for the employees or not.

News that the BA will be moving into new premises in Melita Street, Valletta, was announced last January. However BA staff told this newsroom that they were informed by management to start packing up as they were going to new premises last June.

The property in Ħamrun which is currently owned by the authority will instead be taken up by Chris Cardona’s Economy Ministry. The move has been described as convenient for Dr Cardona, who is a PL Deputy Leader, for it will move his workplace next door to his party’s headquarters.

However, should the competent authorities establish that the place in Valletta is not good to serve as a base for the Broadcasting Authority, Minister Chris Cardona’s relocation plans might be disrupted.

Tanya Borg Cardona has resigned in the wake of industrial action ordered by the UĦM Voice of the Workers as workers flagged “bullying tactics”.

The announcement was given in a short statement by the Department of Information.

Ms Borg Cardona avoided journalists yesterday afternoon after she attended a BA board meeting, which was held minutes after the UĦM Voice of the Workers announced it was planning further industrial action.

Ms Borg Cardona went straight to her car without answering any of the questions from journalists waiting outside her office.

But, minutes later, the DOI issued a statement saying that she had handed in her resignation to the President, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.

The DOI statement quoted her as denying any conflict of interest, adding that she always carried out her duties with impartiality. But, “in the interests of the BA” she was offering her resignation.

The Prime Minister thanked her for her service and said a process of consultation will start for the appointment of a new chairperson.

Earlier, the UĦM had upped the tempo of their protests against the behaviour of the chairperson, saying the union was calling for decisive action from the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, the union said, was refusing to exercise his constitutional right to remove the unwanted chairperson of the Broadcasting Authority, whose bullying behaviour has led workers to take industrial action.

Speaking in front of the BA offices in Ħamrun, UĦM CEO Josef Vella said that the PM had the ability to remove the chairperson via article 118 (6) but had so far refrained from doing so in spite of the escalating situation.

Mr Vella said that the union was considering taking further industrial action if the chairperson was not removed, and was also willing to take the matter to court or call for the intervention of the President of the Republic.

He said that the government boasted that it listens to what the people were saying but in this case it had chosen not to take any action.

Mr Vella said that employees were having their salaries deducted for taking part in the industrial action.

Industrial action was ordered on 13 March as the union accused Ms Borg Cardona of bullying tactics against workers. The BA chairperson has denied the accusations.

The Nationalist Party, in reaction, said that Malta deserved a Broadcasting Authority with serious leadership, and said that the new Chairperson should be approved by a 2/3rds Parliamentary majority.

The new Chairperson, the PN said, “must ensure that the obscenities in PBS stop once and for all.” They said that the PN is ready to help to ensure that the person appointed will be one with the best credentials.

The PN has already tied itself to, once in government, have the Chairperson of the Authority appointed through a 2/3rds Parliamentary majority, the statement read. “This, however, should begin now.”