BENJAMIN ARYEE & 692 OTHERS vs. COCOA MARKETING CO. (GH) LIMITED [2015]DLCA8010

Date	2015-02-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/224/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA8010

MARIAMA OWUSU JA (PRESIDING)

ADUAMA OSEI JA

GYAN JA

MR. JOHANES VEGBA FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT

MR. ALBERT ADAARE FOR PLAINTIIFS/RESPONDENTS

[2015]DLCA8010
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BENJAMIN
ARYEE &amp; 692 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF
/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>COCOA
MARKETING CO. (GH) LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT /APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/224/2014&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: 26TH FEBRUARY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. JOHANES VEGBA FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR. ALBERT ADAARE FOR
PLAINTIIFS/RESPONDENTS<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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MARIAMA OWUSU JA
(PRESIDING), ADUAMA OSEI JA, GYAN JA<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></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>ADUAMA OSEI<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
writ of summons that initiated the above suit was filed in the Human Rights
Division of the High Court, Accra, on the 23rd of December, 2009.
The writ was however amended on the 11th of July, 2012, and by the
amendment, the Plaintiffs/Respondents claimed against the Defendant/Appellant
as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“(a) damages for breach of the
plaintiffs’ economic rights guaranteed under article 24(1) of the 1992
Constitution and discrimination against the plaintiffs contrary to article 17
of the 1992 Constitution.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“(b) a declaration that each
plaintiff having worked for the defendant for a period of over six (6) months
was deemed in law to be a permanent employee of the defendant at the date of
the plaintiffs’ wrongful termination by the Defendant on 31st
December, 2006.<o:p></o:p>-<o:p></o:p>“(c) damages for wrongful
termination of employment.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“(d) interest at the
commercial bank rate on all monies found due and owing from the defendant to
the plaintiffs from the date of the wrongful termination of plaintiffs’
employment, that is 31st December, 2006 up to and inclusive of the
date of final payment.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“(e) any other relief as may
be found due to the plaintiffs as the Court may deem fit.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>”(f) costs inclusive of legal
fees”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Plaintiffs/Respondents are hereinafter referred to as “the Plaintiffs” and the
Defendant/Appellant is hereinafter referred to as “the Defendant”.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>The
basis of the Plaintiffs’ claim, as may be summarised from their statement of
claim, was that even though they had worked continuously for over 4 years as
employees of the Defendant company at its Tema branch, the Defendant company
had treated them as casual workers and had paid them wages instead of salaries,
and had also conducted its affairs with them in a manner that denied them their
economic rights under the 1992 Constitution. Eventually, to their financial
detriment, their employment with the Defendant had on the 31st of December,
2006, been terminated in a manner inconsistent with their status as junior
staff or employees of the company.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In
its statement of defence, however, the Defendant had denied that the Plaintiffs
were its employees. The Defendant had alleged that the persons who worked as
casual workers at its Tema branch were engaged by their gang leaders and the
D</main>