Court orders ECG to pay salaries of dismissed employees

Kumasi, April 10, GNA - A Fast Track Court sitting in Kumasi on Thursday ordered the management of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to pay an amount equal to 24 months salary as damages to 11 of its employees for wrongful dismissal in September 1997.

The plaintiffs are also to receive their other entitlements including their contributions under the provident fund.

In passing judgement, the court declared that the composition of the Kukubor Committee set up to investigate the alleged malpractices against the plaintiffs was null and void as it contravened the Collective Bargaining Agreement that governed the plaintiffs employment. The court also recommended that the committee that formed the basis of the management's decision to dismiss the plaintiffs was null and void.

The facts are that sometime in 1997 the management had information that some of the employees stationed in Kumasi were engaged in some malpractices including tampering with meters as well as over and under issuing of meters and that the practices had affected the company's commercial activities in the Ashanti Region.

The company set up a three-member committee and charged it to investigate the allegations levelled against the plaintiffs and some other employees of the company.

The committee submitted its findings and recommendations to the company and based on that the company dismissed the plaintiffs.