KOBEAH AND OTHERS V TEMA OIL REFINERY; BOATENG AND OTHERS vs. TEMA OIL REFINERY (CONSOLIDATED) [2004]DLSC994

KOBEAH AND OTHERS V TEMA OIL REFINERY; BOATENG AND OTHERS vs. TEMA OIL REFINERY... [2004]DLSC994

Date	2004-04-29
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2004]DLSC994

KPEGAH JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

AKUFFO JSC

TWUM JSC

KLUDZE JSC

AFARI YEBOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANTS.

SOMUAH-ASAMOAH FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT.

[2004]DLSC994
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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:#00B0F0">KOBEAH AND OTHERS V TEMA OIL REFINERY; BOATENG AND OTHERS<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:#00B0F0">vs.<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:#00B0F0">TEMA OIL REFINERY (CONSOLIDATED)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2003-2005]
1 GLR 485<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="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 29 April 2004<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>AFARI
YEBOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF-APPELLANTS.<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">

SOMUAH-ASAMOAH
FOR THE DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

KPEGAH,
ATUGUBA, AKUFFO, TWUM AND KLUDZE JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Kpegah JSC. I
have had the benefit of reading beforehand, the opinion to be delivered by my
brother Twum JSC. I agree with him. I have nothing useful to add.<o:p></o:p>Atuguba JSC. I
desire to make a brief contribution to the determination of this case. The
battle is pitched mainly between articles 4(vii) and 21(4) of the 1987
collective agreement between the parties. Article 4(vii) provides as follows:
“All employees who have been confirmed in their employment shall be given one
month’s notice on termination or pay in lieu and vice versa on resignation. In
case of summary dismissal no notice shall be given.” Article 21(4) on the other
hand provides as follows: “(4) One of the following reasons may justify the
termination of the employment or the dismissal of the employee ...” A litany of
reasons, which it is not necessary to set out, then follows.<o:p></o:p>The
appellants were terminated under article 4(vii) of the collective agreement.
Counsel however contends that both articles 4(vii) and 21(4) ought to be read
together or else article 21(4) would be rendered otiose. Even if the two
provisions are read together they would not in my view have the effect
contended for by counsel, namely that reasons are required for termination of
the contract of employment even under article 4(vii). It must be noticed that
article 4(vii) clearly sets out to give both the employer and the employee a
mutual right to terminate the contract of employment. That provision, to my
mind, means that either side must either give one month’s prior notice of
termination or one month’s salary in lieu thereof. If that is so, to require
reasons to be given or ascertained as an additional precondition would run
counter to the objective of that stipulation. If the employer is to go through
disciplinary investigative procedure before he exercises his right of
termination under article 4 (vii), could it reasonably be thought that the
employee must likewise go through such a procedure before exercising his right
of termination under that provision? What would be the grounds that the
employee would have to satisfy in this regard under article 21(4) (a)-(1)?
Clearly none. That being so, would the mutuality of the right of termination given
to both the employer and the employee under article 4 (vii) be given effect?
Clearly not. Therefore counsel’s contention would defeat the intent of the
parties conveyed by article 4(vii). The intent of the parties that article
4(vii) is to be contrasted with other provisions such as article 21(4) is
clearly conveyed by the stipulation in article 4(vii) that “In case of summary
dismissal no notice shall be given.”<o:p></o:p>In
this case the grounds for termination of the appellants’ employment were stated
in their letters of termination in unvaried language as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“Dear
Sir/ Madam, <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">Letter
of termination <o:p></o:p>