By Muhammad Bah A case involving 11 former workers of Mbowen Clinic at Kanifing who are claiming for damages for unlawful termination of service proceeded on Monday, 21 July 2014 at the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal. The 11 workers, who include ten women and a man, are claiming Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D750, 000) for damages from their employer who they alleged breached the renewal of their annual employment contract which made lose earnings As plaintiffs, they told the Tribunal that they were employed as nurse attendants, mid wives, cleaners, launderers and financial clerks and were all sacked by their employer. They maintained that they have lost their social protection such as social security scheme and that the Clinic has unlawfully made them loss their jobs. The former Mbowen Clinic employees further told the Tribunal that they are not paid their salaries for the month of March 2014 and are thus claiming for such. They are asking for 25% per annum interest rate as from the date of the “unlawful termination” of their contract. They also claimed for another 4% of payment from the beginning of the trial to the date of judgment. According to the plaintiffs, they have never been subjected to any form of disciplinary actions like suspension or interdiction or to any form of financial embarrassment. They also stated that they were never given a warning letter for committing any wrongful acts during the course of their loyal service to the Clinic. “The defendant failed to pay heed to its statutory obligation when it does not contribute towards our social security provident fund and did not compensate our injury,” they stated. The 11 workers finally told the Tribunal that their former employer is in breach of the principles of natural justice as he did not accord them a fair hearing. The counsel for the defendant, Edward Singhateh, denied liability on the accusation made by these former employees. The matter was adjourned to 5th August 2014 for continuation of hearing.]]>
