BY THOMAS DIXON
232NEWS, FREETOWN
In the matter between Felix Brethe and 50 others named employees of Standard Chartered Bank and Standard Chartered Bank Sierra Leone Limited, High Court Judge, Hon. Mrs. Justice Jamseina E.L King has ruled in favor of the former.
Amongst the 7 questions put before the court concerning their redundancy compensation and their entitlement, Justice Jamesina E.L King ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on 6 questions.
The High Court declared that a redundancy is bound to and shall occur with regard to the Plaintiffs in June 2024 or in December 2024 and that the Employment law and Employment Regulations 2023 have overtaken events and settled compensation with respect to end of service benefits and redundancy compensation thereby making negotiations on this issue unnecessary.
The Court also declared that the Plaintiffs are entitled to end of service benefits or severance pay in addition to or separate and distinct from their entitlements under the Provident Fund and redundancy compensation.
“In the event that redundancy occurs in June 2024 the Plaintiffs shall cumulatively be entitled to end of service benefits in the sum of NLE 30,570,189.44 and redundancy benefits in the sum of NLE33, 206,039.44,” the court stated.
That should the redundancy occur in December 2024, the Plaintiffs shall be entitled to end of service benefits in the sum of NLE33, 375, 537.38 and redundancy benefits in the sum of NLE43,454,257.47.
That exhibits RJ1&2 attached to the affidavit of Ransford Johnson sworn on the 23rd June 2023 comprising of the agreed redundancy compensation and end of benefits should it occur in June or December excluding the provisional scheme calculations are adopted as part of the judgment.
That Based on the order of this Court dated 23 October 2023 end of service benefits, redundancy compensation and benefits from the provident fund due the Plaintiffs and costs incidental to this action shall be paid from the escrow account held at the Defendant’s bank for that purpose.
The court also ruled that the Plaintiffs are entitled to be paid Provident Fund benefits immediately upon liquidation of the said Fund.
That the final figures for such benefits from the Provident Fund are to be agreed on by the Solicitors of the parties and that the Defendant is to provide the governing rules and documents for the Provident Fund to Solicitors for the Plaintiffs forthwith.
“The Defendant shall give the Plaintiff’s Solicitors a month’s notice prior to the redundancy and both Solicitors shall engage on the disbursement from the said account in accordance with this order. Costs to the Plaintiff to be assessed by the Court on 7ht February 2024. 12. Liberty to apply,” the court further stated.
