MARTIN A. ATUAHENE vs. GHANA COCOA MARKETING BOARD [2019]DLSC5685

Date	2019-02-06
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: J4/23/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLSC5685

AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS) JSC (PRESIDING)

BENIN JSC

APPAU JSC

MARFUL-SAU JSC

KOTEY JSC

DICK ANYADI FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT WITH HIM

JOHN BREFO AND EDWARD BREKU BOADU.

GEORGE LAING FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.

[2019]DLSC5685
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARTIN A. ATUAHENE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>GHANA COCOA MARKETING BOARD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO:
J4/23/2018&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: 6TH FEBRUARY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DICK
ANYADI FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT WITH HIM JOHN BREFO AND EDWARD
BREKU BOADU.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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GEORGE LAING FOR
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.<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;
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</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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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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</div>MARFUL-SAU,
JSC: -<o:p></o:p>In this appeal we are called upon to determine
whether the Plaintiff/ Respondent/ Appellant, who sued on behalf of 683
persons, herein referred to as Appellants, lost their employment with the
Produce Buying Company Ltd and for that matter entitled to severance award
under the Labour Act. <o:p></o:p>The Court of Appeal sitting at Kumasi in its
judgment under appeal had reversed the decision of the trial High Court, Kumasi
which held that Appellants were entitled to severance award. The Appellants are
therefore urging this Court to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal on
six grounds formulated in their Notice of Appeal as follows:-<o:p></o:p>“i. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
judgment is against the weight of evidence on record.<o:p></o:p>ii. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court of Appeal fell into error when they held that relief (i) endorsed on the
Writ of Summons was without merit because the Plaintiff/ Respondent/Appellant
and his colleagues had not at any time lost their employment with the
Defendant/ Appellant/Respondent, Ghana Cocoa Board or Produce Buying Company
Limited.<o:p></o:p>iii. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court of Appeal erred in faulting the Plaintiffs/Respondents/ Appellants for
failing to call evidence to prove the negative that is to say, their denial
that they did not receive any entitlement, end of service benefits or
redundancy payments apart from their Provident Fund Contributions.<o:p></o:p>iv.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court of Appeal erred in pronouncing that the Plaintiff/ Respondent/ Appellant
and his colleagues’ action was not brought bona fide.<o:p></o:p>v. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court of Appeal erred in reversing the judgment of the trial High Court and
upholding the appeal of the Defendant/Appellant/Respondent.<o:p></o:p>vi.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
costs awarded against the Plaintiffs/Respondents/Appellants is unjustified in
the circumstances.’’<o:p></o:p>Before proceeding to address the grounds of
appeal, we deem it necessary to state the facts of the case albeit briefly. One
Martin Atuahene for himself and on behalf of 683 former employees of the
Produce Buying Company Ltd took out a Writ of Summons in the High Court, Kumasi
claiming three reliefs namely:-<o:p></o:p>‘’i. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; a
declaration that the defendants are liable to pay to the plaintiff and each of
the persons on whose behalf the plaintiff brings this action severance pay for
loss of employment</main>