ANTHONY BANDOH AND GHANA WATER COMPANY [2002]DLCHRAJ5848

Date	2002-08-07
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/745/2001/753
Citation No.	[2002]DLCHRAJ5848

BENJAMIN K. OPPONG

[2002]DLCHRAJ5848
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ANTHONY BANDOH <o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>GHANA WATER COMPANY <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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Our
Ref: CHRAJ/745/2001/753&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 7/8/2002<o:p></o:p>

</div>commissioner:<o:p></o:p>BENJAMIN K. OPPONG DEPUTY COMMISSIONER <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#1F1F00">FOR <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#111100">COMMISSIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>The Complainant who was a Revenue Assistant
Grade I was among the<a name="_gjdgxs"></a> staff of the Respondent retrenched
in 1993. He alleged victimization and invited the Commission to have him adequately
compensated.<o:p></o:p>The issue is whether his retrenchment was
victimization and whether he is entitled to his claim.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>COMPLAINANT'S CASE<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
.45pt;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">The Complainant averred that on 10th May,
1993 he was invited to attend an interview at the Head Office for screening
preparatory to an impending retrenchment exercise. On 4th of August, 1993 he
was asked to collect a cheque in respect of his benefits. He felt victimized
and therefore petitioned the Management on 3rd March, 1994. He sent a reminder
in April, 1996. Still no response was coming. So he petitioned the new Managing
Director in October, 1998 and later followed up to see him in person.<o:p></o:p>Ultimately the long expected response came to
the effect that his retrenchment was irreversible.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>RESPONDENT'S CASE<o:p></o:p>The Respondent denied that the retrenchment
of the Complainant was a victimization. It explained that the Complainant was
retrenched with several others who were identified to be unproductive in a
nation-wide productivity screening exercise conducted jointly by Management,
the National Union of PUWU, and the Senior Staff Association.<o:p></o:p>A criteria list which guided the Committee,
according to the Respondent, included the following: ill-health, old age
(nearing retiring age of 60), negative attitude to work, drunkenness,
persistent absenteeism, &nbsp;inefficiency,
untrainability.<o:p></o:p>It was the submission of the Respondent that
the Complainant had been identified as being a hardened drunkard, unproductive
and inefficient; and had a record of persistent absenteeism due to his
excessive drunkenness.<o:p></o:p>The retrenchment exercise, the Respondent
explained further, was carried out as a result of the urgent need for
Management to remove waste from the system and to increase productivity to meet
Performance Targets set between Government and the Company. The exercise, it
stated, was done without malice or victimization and was prudently and fairly
carried out under the eagle eyes of the Social Partners who served on the Committee
to ensure justice and fair play to all. The Complainant, it said, was given the
chance to defend himself but failed woefully to offer any reasonable defence.
Concluding, the Respondent stated that the exercise involved o</main>