[2006]DLSC6741 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">ISAAC K. KOBI & 24 ORS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">(</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">PLAINTIFF/APPELLANTS<b>)<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">GHANA MANGANESE CO. LTD.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center; line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></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:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/27/2005<b> </b> DATE<b>: </b>19TH JULY, 2006<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MR. G. F. GARDINER FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/APPELLANTS. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MAJOR (RTD.) AGBENOTO FOR RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ATUGUBA J.S.C.(PRESIDING), PROF. OCRAN J.S.C., MRS. WOOD J.S.C., ANSAH J.S.C., ASIAMAH J.S.C.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ATUGUBA , J.S.C. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The appellants were employees of the respondent company. Their terms of employment were, inter alia, set out in a collective Bargaining Agreement, exhibit AA. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">On the 19th day of May 1999 some of the respondent's workers went on a demonstration on its premises against the apprehended termination of the employment of the company's resident doctor. Next day the workers found per notices to that effect, that the company had been closed down. Negotiations ensued between the Ministry for Employment and Social Welfare, representatives of the National Mineworkers Union, the workers and management of respondent. Consequently the appellants and the rest of the workers were asked to sign declarations of confidence in the management as a precondition for "re-adminission".[sic] They did so but were rather issued with letters of rejection. Hence the action. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The appellants' claims were dismissed both by the trial High Court and the Court of Appeal. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The appellants contend inter alia, that the judgment of the Court of Appeal is against the weight of evidence. It is interesting to note that the Court of Appeal acknowledged that the trial court's judgment could not be supported on the evidence. What they regarded as the solid legal rock sustaining the appellants' dismissal is stated at p.239 of the record of appeal per Quaye J.A, as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">"Even though the respondents did not lead sufficient or satisfactory evidence why the appellants and not any of the other employees had their appointments terminated, they have the legal right qua employers to dispense with any worker and no court can challenge that decision and act once the necessary payments had been made", <o:p></o:p></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This statement of the law is largely right. What I consider to be trite learning on this issue is that a contract of service is not a contract of servitude. That being so even if the contract of employment is silent on the question whether it is terminable, the common law implies a right to terminate the same by either side upon reasonable notice to the other. See BAUMAN V. HULTDNY PRESS LTD (1952) 2 ALL ER 1121. Subject to this the right to terminate a contract of service is dependent on the terms of the contract and must be exercised in accordance therewith. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Thus in GHANA COCOA MARKETING BOARD V. AGBETTOH (1984 - 86) 1GLR 122GA at 125 Apaloo C.J delivering the judgment of the court said: "The Plaintiffs were servants of the appellant board (hereinafter referred to as the Defendant board) and had severally entered into written contracts of personal service with it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The available evidence shows that save salaries, the board had a stereotype type of letter of appointment and in it provision is made by which the board can dispense with the Plaintiffs' services. The latter have a corresponding right. For instance clause 7 of the first Plaintiff's letter of appointment (exhibit 6) provides that: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">"The appointment may be terminated by either party on giving three months' notice or payment of three months' salary in lieu of notice. The Board, however, reserves the right to dismiss you summarily on grounds of indiscipline and inefficiency." The effect of a termination of the Plaintiffs' employment effected in contravention of such terms of employment was poignantly stated by Apaloo C.J at p.126 thus: "At the very least it can be said that the purported termination which is, in fact, a removal from office, did not accord with the service contract between the board and the Plaintiffs. They were not removed for indiscipline or inefficiency. They were given no notice of their projected removal. In those circumstances, it cannot be gain said that the action of the interim management committee was unlawful"</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">. See also <b>ARYEE V. STATE CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (1984 - 86) 1GLR 424 at 431 and KOBEA V. TEMA OIL REFINERY (2003 - 2004) SCGLR 1033. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">In this case the collective agreement provides as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ARTICLE 8 - DISCIPLINARY REGULATIONS Introduction <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">a. <u>There shall be a Disciplinary Committee</u> comprising the Company and the Branch Union representatives <u>to deal with all