A migrant worker filed a police report claiming he was punched by his boss after he asked for a termination letter.

Indian construction worker Blessin, who asked Times of Malta not to include his surname, said an argument over a €50 ‘termination fee’ charged by his boss escalated when he refused to pay in cash.

The 25-year-old claims he was punched and knocked to the ground in broad daylight in Mqabba, with photos showing him lying on the blood-splattered pavement with a bleeding nose.

The employer denied the allegations when contacted by Times of Malta, only saying he had provided the termination letter on the day of the alleged assault without charging a fee.

Blessin said he later received a termination letter from employment agency JobsPlus.

The construction worker said he started working for the employer after arriving in Malta about six months ago but decided to find a new job as he was being mistreated by his boss.

He described the employer as a “rough character” with a “racist mentality”, who, he said, would frequently become angry with his non-EU employees and refuse to speak to them in English.

While Blessin’s contract, seen by Times of Malta, said he would be paid €300 per week – equivalent to €15,600 a year – “he didn’t pay that”, the Indian national said, estimating his weekly pay at around €250.

A payslip seen by Times of Malta shows Blessin having received just under €1,000 for November, excluding tax and national insurance contributions, at least €200 shy of the monthly salary due according to the contract.

Blessin said he was first asked to pay a €150 termination fee but refused ‒ “I told him I didn’t need to pay that” ‒ before eventually agreeing on a €50 fee to speed up the process. However, after he refused to pay in cash, instead insisting on Revolut “so there was proof… suddenly, he [the employer] punched me”.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” the worker said of the alleged incident, adding the employer left the scene in his car shortly after.

Blessin was certified as having sustained slight injuries, including Erythema (abnormal redness) around the bridge of his nose and mild swelling in both nostrils, according to a Mater Dei Hospital report.

Although the police report of the incident said Blessin did not want it to progress to court, the worker told Times of Malta this was not the case and that he intends to press charges. He is due to meet with the police in the coming days.

For the time being, Blessin remains in limbo, borrowing money from friends and family to live as he waits for a new ID card before he can start his new job in a fast-food restaurant.