Sacked Maltese Gaming Firm Employees Escalate Action As Wages Remain Unpaid
A group of people who were sacked from a now-defunct Maltese gaming company have taken their case up with the employment authorities after their December wages remained unpaid.
Around 100 Genesis ex-employees have got in touch with a lawyer and have opened a claim with the Department For Industrial and Employment Relations [DIER], a spokesperson for the sacked staff told Lovin Malta.
“DIER told us they will file a claim for our December wage, leave and notice but it’s not clear whether they can file a claim for our full wage or if we will only be entitled to the minimum wage,” they said.
Genesis, which operated a portfolio of online casino brands and had gaming licenses in Malta, the UK, Sweden and Spain, filed for insolvency last December, 11 months after the UK’s Gambling Commission slapped it with a £3.8 million fine over significant social responsibility and money laundering failures.
The letter of redundancy sent to staff on 23rd December
On 23rd December, two days before Christmas and a week after it filed for insolvency in the Maltese courts, Genesis informed its 140 staff that they were being made redundant.
Staff were told that the company might not be able to pay their December salary, any outstanding salaries to cover the notice period and any outstanding notice due.
“We are currently trying our best to find a solution to this issue by trying to raise some funds and in addition, we hope to liaise with the authorities concerned in order to ease the burden and find alternative solutions in order for you to be paid at least some of the money due to you,” Genesis wrote, before advising the workers to contact DIER.
Two weeks on and the workers are still awaiting their December salaries or any form of communication from Genesis or its parent company, the Meydan Group
“Last week we sent an email to the Meydan’s CEO Yaniv Meydan to request an update but he hasn’t even acknowledged it,” the former worker said.
While some of the former Genesis staff have managed to find a new job, others are still searching.
“One particular couple had both worked for Genesis and the girlfriend had just gone on maternity leave so she can’t get a job yet as her baby is only a month old. Her partner is trying to find a new job but this has placed a lot of stress on employees.”
“The government said there are 700 vacancies in the gaming sector but that’s not true and we still face competition with other jobseekers when applying for jobs.”
What do you make of this less than positive ongoing situation?
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