ALFRED DJANDU DOSU & 2 OTHERS vs. NEW HOPE SCHOOL [2023]DLNLC17247

Date	2023-11-10
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2023]DLNLC17247

JUSTICE KWABENA ASUMAN-ADU (RTD.) (CHAIRMAN)

[2023]DLNLC17247
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >&nbsp;ALFRED DJANDU DOSU &amp; 2 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NEW HOPE SCHOOL <o:p></o:p>[NLC]<o:p></o: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;">

Our Ref: NLC/C-120/016/2023/36&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;10TH
NOVEMBER, 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>FOR
THE COMMISSION: <o:p></o: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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 0in;">

JUSTICE
KWABENA ASUMAN-ADU (RTD.) CHAIRMAN<o:p></o:p>

</div><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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;tab-stops:474.9pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 0in">RULING <o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;BACKGROUND<o:p></o:p>The complainants lodged this case with
National Labour Commission (NLC) on an allegation of unfair termination of
their employment against the Respondent on 29th February, 2015. The
Respondent in its response dated 5th April, 2015 to the Commission
stated empathetically that the termination of the employment of the Complaints
was fair.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The three (3) Complainants, Alfred Djandu
Dusu, Kofi Okwan and Yaw Kpanmouna had taught in the New Hope School for 18,12,
and 15 years respectively at the time of the termination of their employment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Case of the Complainants<o:p></o:p>The Complainants stated
their case as follows.<o:p></o:p>(a)<span style="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-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp; On
the 28th day of October 2015, the New Hope Junior High School
students were stated to have sporting activities at the primary department.
After morning assembly on the said date, while waiting for the activities to
commence, the headteacher of the school, Miss Florence Twum came to where the three
(3) of them were sitting and instructed them to select the students from JHS
who were going to participate in the events.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Mr.
Alfred Djandu Dusu on behalf of the Complainants informed the headteacher that
they were waiting for the organizers of the sports to give them a programme
outline to enable them begin the selection of the students.<o:p></o:p>After
some few minutes they had a call from the external director of the school, Dr.
Zenaida who was then in the United States of America. The Director told them
that she had a report from the headmistress that they had disobeyed her by
refusing to follow her instructions.<o:p></o:p>The
initial statements made by the Director Dr. Zenaida Mante were that if they did
not want to work, they should resign and that they had disrespected the headteacher,
Miss Twum. They tried to explain the issues to Dr. Zenaida, but she would not
listen to them.<o:p></o:p>To their surprise
their appointments were terminated the next day, October 29, 2015 without being
given a fair hearing.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The Case of the Respondent<o:p></o:p>The
Respondent in its response to the complaint stated as follows:<o:p></o:p>The
Complainants were terminated as a result of gross misconduct and clear breach
of the conditions of service and code of conduct of the school.<o:p></o:p>That
on 28th October, 2015 the Complainants refused to participate in
sporting activities being organized by the school although they were under
obligation to do so.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The
Complainants rather sat underneath a tree by the school’s sport complex. The
supervising headteacher Mrs. Florence Twum specifically instructed the
Complainanats to get up and perform assigned roles but the Complainants rudely
refused to obey her instructions and asked her to see the organizers or the
sporting event for any assist</main>