1996 GHANA PUBLISHING CORP. REDUNDANT STAFF AND GHANA PUBLISHING CORPORATION [2002]DLCHRAJ5883

Date	2002-08-02
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/TJ/228/97/637
Citation No.	[2002]DLCHRAJ5883

BENJAMIN K. OPPONG

[2002]DLCHRAJ5883
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><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:#00B050">1996 GHANA PUBLISHING CORP.
REDUNDANT STAFF <o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p><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:#00B050">GHANA PUBLISHING CORPORATION <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">(CHRAJ)<o:p></o:p>

Our Ref: CHRAJ/TJ/228/97/637&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 2/8/2002<o:p></o:p>

</div>commissioner:<o:p></o:p>BENJAMIN K. OPPONG DEPUTY COMMISSONER
(PROMOTION &amp; ANTI-CORRUPTION) FOR 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;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>Introduction<a name="_gjdgxs"></a><o:p></o:p>In a letter dated 18th April 1997, the Office
of the President referred Complaint made by the Complainants to it to this
Commission for investigations.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Complainants' Case<o:p></o:p>The
Complainants stated that the Respondent had short-paid their terminal benefits
after a restructuring exercise on 1st March 1996.<o:p></o:p>They stated further that although they had
petitioned the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, their complaint had
fallen on deaf ears.<o:p></o:p>They asserted that management had failed to
use their consolidate salary in the computation of their terminal benefits but
calculated it based on their basic pay. This, they contended, was in violation
of Government directives and also in contravention of Section 50 of their &nbsp;1993 Collective Agreement.<o:p></o:p>They also said that Management had failed to
give them notice or payment in lieu of notice of 3 months (senior staff) and 1
month (junior staff) when they were made redundant.<o:p></o:p>Furthermore, the Complainants asserted that
all those who had served for 15 years and above were entitled to a funeral
grant. This had not been paid.<o:p></o:p>Also outstanding, were increments in salary
due and owing and they claimed that this had affected their severance pay and
eventual SSNIT pension.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Respondent's Case<o:p></o:p>The Respondent stated that the Complainants
were made redundant. It stated also that Management had met and negotiated the
redundancy exercise with representatives of senior staff, junior staff and the
TUC and that the Chief Labour Officer chaired the last meeting.<o:p></o:p>It was, the Respondent stated, agreed by the
parties that 50% of the severance award should be paid outright and the
remainder by July 1996.<o:p></o:p>The Respondent contended that the 1994 Senior
Staff Conditions of Service in Section 14(10) (b) stated that severance pay was
to be calculated on the basis of 15 months basic salary. However, notwithstanding
this, the Labour Decree 1967, NLCD 157 in its Section 35 provided that all
redundancy exercises should be negotiated. As a result, the negotiating
committee comprising the workers' represe</main>