UPDATED: James Piscopo – from chairman to chairman and CEO rolled into one
James Piscopo, CEO of the Malta Labour Party
When Labour Party CEO James Piscopo took a tour of Transport Malta’s offices earlier this week, he was introduced to senior executives as the incoming chairman (the outgoing chairman, Mark Portelli, had resigned already).
See my post on the subject, yesterday.
But a quick change of decision appears to have occurred when the Transport Malta CEO, Stanley Portelli, resigned unexpectedly a couple of days ago.
When news of Piscopo’s appointment was made official, it was as CEO and chairman rolled into one, a position called ‘executive chairman’.
This seems to be a way of circumventing the rules, but it doesn’t work. The CEOs of state authorities can be chosen only through a rigorous selection process, while the chairmen are chosen by the cabinet on direct recommendation.
Yet in this situation, if you have done away with the CEO’s role and the chairman is now also the CEO, he cannot be appointed directly by cabinet as James Piscopo has been, because the CEO function means that the recruitment rules kick into play.
Calling him ‘executive chairman’ instead of what he really is (chairman and CEO) just doesn’t cut it. It’s too transparently a way at bending the rules. The thing is, though, nobody is going to challenge it – because as we all know, with Labour nobody does.
The people who have spent the last five years very comfortably slagging off and bitching the Nationalist government with no fear or favour have all drawn in their horns and are scrambling over themselves in being ultra-careful what they say about this Labour government, even if they hate it.
They know, as I do, that Malta Taghna Lkoll is not a promise but a threat, which is why it sounds so menacing.
Meanwhile, just take a look at this sad wuss, Joe Mizzi:
(The Times, today)
Transport Minister Joe Mizzi this morning confirmed that Labour’s former CEO James Piscopo will be taking over from Transport Malta CEO Stanley Portelli, as the new head of the authority.
He said that on the advice of the Prime Minister he agreed that Mr Piscopo will be good for the job.
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Daphne can you give me your email address, please?
[Daphne – [email protected]]
Houston, we have a problem.
A chairman of a public entity, by law, can be nominated by the cabinet.
However, a CEO’s vacancy has to be filled according to ETC rules and guidelines, i.e., first an internal call for applications, then subsequently, if no successful applicant has been found the position goes for a public call.
But hey, Malta taghna lkoll, meritokrazija, u lesti nahdmu ma min irid jahdem maghna, anki jekk ma jaqbilx maghna.
Pull the other one, and then fuck off.
We would like to know how much his salary is please.
Heard this through the gapevine, so I stand corrected.
Former Chairman Of Transport Malta Euro 7000
James Piscopo. Euro 80,000
Does this make him a Ferrari as well?
Mela mhux b’xejn?
“Ghax ghalina Malta mhux ta’ dak jew l-iehor. Mhux ta’ xi klikka. Malta lanqas ma hi ta’ xi politiku jew ta’ xi Partit. Dak iz-zmien spicca.”
“Jien dan li nwieghdek. Li pajjizek se jkun tieghek.”
“Li noholqu middle class gdida.”
“Malta taghna lkoll.”
– Extracts from the foreword by Joseph Muscat to the Manifesto/Electoral Program/Roadmap/”Manifest” of the Malta Labour Party for the 9 March 2013 general elections.
It is clear that James Piscopo is part of the “middle class gdida.” A new middle-class of Laburisti.
TransportLabour. Because Labour Delivers.
Meanwhile in Cyprus.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21903698
That`s cool. So now the post of xhairman is still up for grabs. I`ll wait for the call for applications and apply. I should stand a good chance given Labour`s commitment to meritocracy,
Was watching TV Hemm and the discussion was “Should prisoners be given an amnesty?”
We had rhetorical ‘arguments’ for an amnesty by Giannella Caruana Curran who incidentally knows very well the present minister of justice; and Malcolm Seychell who presented rational arguments against such an amnesty.
I’m smelling something fishy here.Someone is testing the waters. Now let me Google Search who were their clients.
I really really cannot see the connection between an election result and an amnesty to prisoners. Has it been done before? Is it done in other countries or is it one more “only in Malta” train of thought?
I think TV Hemm is a fantastic program. It brings to light many idiosyncracies that form part of daily life in Malta and which very few people question and even fewer are able to think through rationally and objectively.
It was done in 1996 , and it cost Charlie Mangion his ministerial seat.
There can be two excuses: the Maltese election and Pope Francis’ election and plea to forgive prisoners. Pope Francis will be washing the feet of young convicts in some Rome prison.
In my opinion prisoners should work to obtain their freedom.
Sewwa kienu jghidu “Malta taghna lkoll……….il-laburisti.”
As far as I know government employees at CEO level have to be selected after a public call if the post cannot be filled by persons registering with the ETC for similar positions.
But definitely a CEO cannot be appointed without a public call, with interviews by members of the board or specially appointed interviewers.
So is this a case of an illegal appointment.
What do the legal experts say?
No. CEOs can be appointed without a public call. In fact, several were, even under the Gonzi administration.
Well if that was the case, then it was wrong. And Joey promised he would right all wrongs. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.
Ca never changes at all. Some people keep creaming it off no matter who’s in government.
Can you name them.
This should be public knowledge and not under the data protection act.
“That’s a matter for the committee.”
“We ARE the committee.”
I am not a legal expert, but the law says that the CEO is appointed by the Transport Authority following approval by the Minister. There is no mention of an open call in the “AUTHORITY FOR TRANSPORT IN MALTA ACT”. And the Prime Minister does not come into it at all.
http://justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=8965 (Page 19)
Piscopo’s appointment was the prime minister’s decision. Joe Mizzi was obliged to approve it.
Public call or no public call, Piscopo is clearly unfit for the post. He was an accounts clerk at Air Malta and spent five years registered as Muscat’s driver so that the taxpayer, rather than the Labour Party, would have to pay his salary.
Another post turtle, in other words.
The relevant legal provisions are the following and speak for themselves. The fact that one has resorted to a particular course of action in the past does not render such a practice legal and/or in conformity with the Constitution which is the supreme law.
Section 110 (6) of the Constitution :
(6) Recruitment for employment with any body established by
the Constitution or by or under any other law, or with any
partnership or other bod y in which the Government of Malta, or any such body as aforesaid, have a controlling interest or over which they have effective control, shall, unless such recruitment is made after a public examination duly advertised, be made through an employment service as provided in sub-article (2) of this article.
Section 17(1) of the Authority for Transport in Malta Act, Cap. 499 :
17. (1) Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, any other enactment applicable thereto, and without prejudice to the other provisions of this Act, the employment and appointment of officials and other employees of the Authority shall be made by the Authority and the terms and conditions of their employment and appointment shall be established by the Authority with the concurrence of the Minister.
And what’s the difference between both? In practical terms?
[Daphne – The CEO takes the executive decisions.]
With James Piscopo as executive chairman, JosephMuscatDotCom controls everything directly, bypassing the board or even the need for one.
U ejja Defni hi kemm gejja b’nejk…..mhux it-tnejn bic-c jibdew jew?
dnub li mhux C bit-tikka
So basically the Labour Party is moving the burden of its payroll onto the tax payer. Nice.
http://zekzik.com
Truly, the Labour Party is the partit tal-klikka. Where in the world could an airline’s accounts clerk rise to the position of executive chairman with a national authority, via five years spent as a party leader’s glorified dogsbody, picking up a salary financed by the tax payer?
Technically a CEO can be appointed directly by a minister under a person of trust basis, i.e. a political appointment. However this is a far cry from the electoral promises of appointing people according to merit and that there would be open and transparent calls.
What does Helena Dalli have to say about this since she was so adamant last year calling foul at Government?
This is what Public Service Commission said in their last year’s annual report: “As a matter of longstanding practice, staff in ministerial secretariats are recruited directly on the basis of trust, without resort to calls for applications. This is justifiable since Ministers need to have staff in their secretariats in whom they can repose their full personal confidence. However, the regularisation exercise highlighted a number of instances in which appointments on trust were used to fill administrative, managerial or technical positions. This gave rise to a concern on the Commission’s part that appointments on trust could be used to avoid issuing calls for applications for vacancies that should be filled on the basis of merit.”
“Moreover, the Constitution makes no provision for the engagement of staff in positions of trust, so the legality of this practice could be questionable even where ministerial secretariats are concerned. The Commission came to the conclusion that mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure that appointments on trust are legal, and are not used to bypass the merit principle.”
This is what the PL had to say via their spokesperson Helena Dalli as soon as the report was published: “Obtaining a public sector job is all about who you are and who you know, rather than what you know. This does not augur well for the public service. There is no transparency, no accountability and no meritocracy.”
Malta Taghna Lkoll was nothing short of an electoral gimmick.
I remember Joseph taghna saying that such appointments will be made by public vote…maybe on Facebook ? How many Lllllikes for our new Chairman ?
On a different note, though ‘Malta taghna kollha’ related;
http://zekzik.com/2013/03/22/mrs-prime-minister-michelle-xsar-minnha/
I have heard from someone who used to work there and still has contacts, that Mrs. Michelle Muscat is to have an office there, though its nature was unknown.
And then of course, the little ones must have somewhere to do their homework while mummy and daddy are busy screwing up the country. Surely a space for a little study/playroom can be found.
Yes she has an office in Castille and 3 staff working with her……
Wasn’t one of the MLP’s proposal that chairmen are to be nominated through Facebook election by the public?
Occupying a position within the Labour Party is a qualification in itself. Second university at Mile End?
“Transport Malta’s incoming CEO, James Piscopo, believes that his experience as chief executive of the Labour Party will influence his performance “in the positive sense”.
“I was deeply involved in the preparation of the PL’s electoral manifesto, which is now the Government’s programme of action . This process has given me a strong insight into the Government’s plans and ideas and will undoubtedly help me in executing government policy at Transport Malta,” Mr Piscopo said.” (The Times)
We are going to see several of these executive chairman being pronounced. How could they have been so blind to the obvious, defeats me.