The Government says the GSD have been “superficial and reactive” with respect to the Employment Tribunal. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar notes the comments made by the Opposition regarding the Employment Tribunal. The Government is disappointed at the repeatedly negative and opportunistic tone of Opposition press releases, most recently with respect to the Employment Tribunal. 

The Government have adopted a series of measures that have mitigated the delays affecting Employment Tribunal cases in Gibraltar. These measures were recently commended by the Bar Council during the Opening of the Legal Year. Of course, it is far easier for the Opposition to quote statistics without first trying to understand the issue, let alone propose workable and reasonable solutions.  

The Bar Council has identified the increased complexity of issues before the Employment Tribunal and welcomed the efforts made by the Ministry of Employment and the Director of Employment for the receptiveness and attention to any issues raised by the Council on behalf of its members, and to the Tribunal’s staff for the seamless transition from its outgoing secretary. 

The Government’s recruitment drive in connection to the Employment Tribunal was seen as positive by the Bar Council,which also acknowledged that the issue of premises had been alleviated by the Government by allowing various premises for use by the Tribunal. 

The Government recognises the hard work and dedication of Chairpersons of the Employment Tribunal in administering justice in employment disputes in accordance with Gibraltar’s employment laws. As recognition for their hard work and dedication, payments made to Chairpersons per judgment delivered have increased. The amendments move away from a fixed fee for all judgments, as it now takes into consideration the urgency, intricacies, and complexities of Employment Tribunal proceedings. 

The Minister for Employment, Steven Linares, said: “This shows that the Opposition is superficial and reactive. Had they done their due diligence,they would have noted theBarCouncil’s feedback and the undeniable progress to date, evident from publicly available press releases and job adverts.”