M. KWAKU & 473 ORS. vs. VALCO [2012]DLHC5542

Date	2012-01-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO: BMISC/62/05
Citation No.	[2012]DLHC5542

JUSTICE KWABENA ASUMAN-ADU

MR. AKOTO AMPAW FOR THE PLAINTIFFS

MR KWABENA ADU KUSI FOR THE DEFENDANT

[2012]DLHC5542
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >M. KWAKU &amp; 473 ORS.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>VALCO<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (INDUSTRIAL/LABOUR
DIVISION), ACCRA]<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">

SUIT NO: BMISC/62/05&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: 9TH JANUARY,
2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&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; <o:p></o:p>MR. AKOTO AMPAW FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR
KWABENA ADU KUSI FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <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">

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>On 28th October, 2004 388 former
employees of Defendant Company issued a writ of summons accompanied by a
statement of claim per their lawyers against the Defendant for a number of
reliefs. Subsequently, on 24th June, 2005, Plaintiffs caused their
lawyers to file an amended writ and statement of claim following leave granted
by the court seeking the following reliefs against the Defendant:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
(a) a
declaration that they are each entitled to overtime pay in accordance with
Defendant’s fixed rate of overtime for thirty minutes of each working day of
their respective period of employment;<o:p></o:p>(b) an order directed at Defendant to pay the said
accumulated overtime pay due each Plaintiff;<o:p></o:p>(c) interest on (b) above from the date they became
due to date of final payment.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Or in the
alternative damages for violation of Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights to rest
particularly Article 24(2) of the 1992 Constitution and their statutory rights
to break of at least one hour’s duration of every working day of their
employment with Defendant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 7th August, 2009 pursuant to leave
granted by this court on 30th July, 2009, the Plaintiffs filed an
amended writ and statement of claim bringing the total number of plaintiffs to
449. The court subsequently, granted another application for joinder bringing
the total number of the Plaintiffs to 474. The Plaintiffs, therefore, filed an
amended writ and statement of claim on 29th March, 2010. However,
they inadvertently endorsed the writ with wrong reliefs.<o:p></o:p>