[2021]DLCA16177 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">A.G.A. 2006 EARLY RETIREES ASSOCIATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">SUING PER SAMUEL BOADU AND 85 ORS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI-ASHANTI]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;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;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO. H1/51/2020 DATE: 1<sup>ST</sup> APRIL 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">EYRAM AKYAA ANSAH ESQ. FOR APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;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">WILLIAM KUSI ESQ. FOR RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">I. O. AMADU TANKO JSC. (PRESIDING), HENRY A. KWOFIE JA, ANTHONY OPPONG JA<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">ANTHONY OPPONG, JA<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">On or about 18<sup>th</sup> March, 2015, the Plaintiff/Respondent (to be referred to simply as Plaintiff in this delivery) caused a writ of summons together with a statement of claim to issue against the Defendant/Appellant (also to be simply referred to as Defendant hereafter). I must say in parenthesis that I will soon refer to Plaintiff as Plaintiffs for reasons that will soon be unfolded in this delivery. The reliefs Plaintiff sought against Defendant were:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(a)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Payment of redundancy award as earlier on agreed between the members of the plaintiff association and the defendant company acting per its Industrial Relations Manager<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(b)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Payment of interest on any amount payable by the defendant company under redundancy from December 2006 to the date of final payment<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(c)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Damages for breach of agreement<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">(d)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Costs as the court may deem fit.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><i><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In paragraph one of the statement of claim, Plaintiff disclosed its capacity, namely that it is an incorporated association limited by guarantee with members having the common interest of pursuing their end of service benefits from their former employer, the Defendant. Plaintiff being voluntary association disclosed that they have eighty six members and the names of these members were attached to the writ of summons. I can therefore confidently say that 86 persons mounted this action to vindicate their common interest against their employer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> The very first relief Plaintiff sought was quite expressive of the contention of Plaintiff that there was an agreement reached between members of plaintiff association and defendant whereby the latter had agreed to pay the members of plaintiff association redundancy award but, according to Plaintiff, contrary to the said agreement, members of plaintiff association were issued with early retirement letters with the aim of reducing the end of service benefits due the members of plaintiff.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In other words, it was the contention of plaintiff that the redundancy exit agreement was unilaterally changed by the defendant to what was termed “early retirement scheme”, thereby depriving the members of plaintiff association the full financial benefit they would otherwise have received.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In fact, it was the members’ efforts to address this alleged short change the defendant perpetuated to the detriment of the members of plaintiff that culminated in the formation of plaintiff to deal with the problem with one voice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The members of plaintiff resorted to petitions and subsequently sought the intervention of the National Labour Commission but no succor was forth coming and so they were constrained to turn to the court of law.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Th