CUSTOMS EXCISE & PREVENTIVE SERVICE vs. NATIONAL LABOUR COMMISSION PUBLIC SERVICES WORKERS’ UNION OF GTUC [2009]DLSC2479

CUSTOMS EXCISE & PREVENTIVE SERVICE vs. NATIONAL LABOUR COMMISSION PUBLIC SERVIC... [2009]DLSC2479

Date	2009-02-04
Suit No.	WRIT J1/5/2007
Citation No.	[2009]DLSC2479

ATUGUBA J.S.C (PRESIDING)

ANSAH J.S.C.

ADINYIRA J.S.C.

DOTSE J.S.C.

ANIN YEBOAH J.S.C.

FIIFI YANKSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF

EFIBA AMIHERE FOR THE DEFENDANT

NAANA JANTUAH BANFUL (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY)

PHILIP ADDISON FOR THE INTERESTED PARTY

[2009]DLSC2479
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >CUSTOMS EXCISE &amp; PREVENTIVE SERVICE<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NATIONAL LABOUR COMMISSION PUBLIC SERVICES WORKERS’ UNION
OF GTUC<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT]<o:p></o:p>WRIT
J1/5/2007<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">

DATE: 4TH FEBRUARY, 2009.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>FIIFI
YANKSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF <o:p></o:p>EFIBA
AMIHERE FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>NAANA
JANTUAH BANFUL (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) <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">

PHILIP
ADDISON FOR THE INTERESTED PARTY<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

ATUGUBA
&nbsp;J.S.C (PRESIDING), ANSAH &nbsp;J.S.C., ADINYIRA &nbsp;J.S.C., DOTSE &nbsp;J.S.C., ANIN YEBOAH &nbsp;J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>J U D G M E N T<o:p></o:p>ATUGUBA,
J.S.C:<o:p></o:p>The
facts of this case have been related by my brother Dotse, J.S.C. and I would
not repeat them except where necessary.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff claims before us per its writ of summons as follows:<o:p></o:p>“1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that on a true and proper
interpretation of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651), particularly s.1, the
application or the purported application of the said Act to cover the Customs,
Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) as established by law is inconsistent
with, or in contravention of Article 24 (4) of the Constitution and to that extent
the court ought to declare that restrictions prescribed by law and reasonably
necessary in the interest of national security or public order require that
Customs, Excise &amp; Preventive Service be excluded from the application of
the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651).<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That by virtue of the combined effect of
Article 1(2) and Article 11(6)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; of
the Constitution the Court declares a Collective Bargaining Certificate dated
20th March 1987 issued to cover the Customs, Excise &amp; Preventive Service
void and of no effect.”<o:p></o:p>It
is obvious that these claims could have been better drafted.&nbsp; However their substance is that <o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; insofar as the Labour Act 2003
(Act 651) applies to the workers of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service,
the same is inconsistent with or in contravention of Article 24(4) of the
Constitution and to that extent is null and void.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The continued operation of a
Collective Bargaining Certificate dated the 20th day of March 1987 in respect
of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service is for the same reason also null
and void.<o:p></o:p>Preliminary
Points<o:p></o:p>The
defendant objects that the plaintiff failed to appeal against the Ruling of the
National Labour Commission dated the 7th day of June 2006 that it has
jurisdiction over it and therefore is out of time in this court.&nbsp; But the plaintiff’s case is not an appeal but
an original action in this court.&nbsp; As
this court is the only competent court to entertain and if appropriate, to
grant the reliefs claimed by the plaintiff in this action, it is difficult to
fathom how there could be an objection to the initiation of the same.&nbsp; See Mensima v. Attorney-General (1996-97) SC
GLR 676.&nbsp; New Patriotic Party v
Attorney-General (Ciba Case) (19996-97) SC GLR 729, Sam (No. 2) v Attorney-General
(2000) SC GLR 305, Adofo v. Attorney-General &amp; Cocobod (2005 – 2006) SC GLR
42.<o:p></o:p>Some
other preliminary objections could, but were not raised as to the legal
capacity of the plaintiff to institute this action.&nbsp; However they would not have defied resolution
so as to allow this action to survive.&nbsp;
See Republic v. High Court, Accra, Ex parte Attorney-General (Delta
Foods Case) (1998-99) SC GLR 595.<o:p></o:p>The
Position of CEPS under ordinary Legislation<o:p></o:p>The
Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (Management) Act, 1993 (PNDCL 330) has
no direct provision precluding CEPS from unionizing.&nbsp; S.235 however provides as follows:<o:p></o:p>“For the administration of this Act
all officers shall have the same powers authorities and privileges as are given
by law to Police Officers”<o:p></o:p>There
has been much argument as to the proper scope of this provision as it applies
to CEPS because s.17 of the Police Service Act 1970 (Act 350) provides:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“It is a misconduct for a police officer<o:p></o:p>X&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; X&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; X&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; X&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;X&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; X&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p</main>