Govt won't gain support through dismissals, says Fayyaz

Former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has criticised the dismissal of government and state-owned enterprise employees for their political activities and advocacy on workplace issues, arguing that such actions will not increase public support for the government.

The comments follow reports that several employees of state-owned enterprises were dismissed after participating in the campaign of MDP candidate Abdulla Sodiq, who won the Hithadhoo North parliamentary by-election held on Saturday.

In a post on social media platform X on Monday, Fayyaz expressed concern over the dismissals.

"The dismissal of employees involved in Sodiq's campaign by the administration of President Mohamed Muizzu is deeply concerning," Fayyaz said.

He also referred to the dismissal of two employees of the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO), who had spoken publicly about the company's failure to deposit pension contributions.

According to Fayyaz, dismissing employees following an electoral defeat reflects an administration facing declining public support.

"They should not expect to gain support by turning state-owned companies into political strongholds and driving families into poverty," he said.

Fayyaz added that he and his party would continue to oppose what they view as injustice.

In his post, Fayyaz shared copies of termination notices issued to two WAMCO employees and one employee of the State Electric Company (STELCO).

The WAMCO termination letters, signed by Managing Director Mujthaba Jaleel, cited Section 23 of the Employment Act as the basis for dismissal.

Under the provision, an employee may be dismissed without notice if their conduct is deemed inappropriate and the employer has reasonable grounds to conclude that continued employment is unsuitable.

The law identifies circumstances including situations where retaining the employee could cause loss or damage to the employer or workplace, or where the employee has committed fraud or embezzlement.

Meanwhile, the termination notice issued to the STELCO employee, signed by General Manager Hussain Farhad, stated that the dismissal formed part of a restructuring process intended to streamline operations, reduce costs and reorganise the company.

The STELCO notice also referred to a directive previously issued by the Privatisation and Corporatisation Board (PCB) in support of the decision.

Neither WAMCO nor STELCO had publicly responded to Fayyaz's remarks at the time of publication.