Idrissa Jobarteh, a former employee of Sheraton Hotel, has taken his former employer to the Industrial Tribunal at Kanifing for wrongful termination of his service.
In his testimony, the plaintiff, Idrissa Jobarteh, told the tribunal that he lives at Dippa-kunda and was a driver for the hotel.
He said prior to working for the defendant, he worked for Kairaba Beach Hotel for three years.
He adduced that when he was working for the Kairaba Beach Hotel, the first manager of Sheraton Hotel asked him to drive for him.
He told the tribunal that he told the manager of Sheraton Hotel to discuss with the Kairaba Beach Hotel management.
Jobarteh added that he then started driving for the manager of Sheraton Hotel in September 2006.
He further testified that he was not paid his social security benefits, stating that the Sheraton Hotel manager one day called him, and told him to help him to collect his wife at the airport, who was arriving on 26 December 2011.
He added that the Rooms Division and Front Office Manager informed him that on 26 December 2011 was his day off.
The plaintiff said the general manager told him that after he has collected his wife from the airport, he could leave.
He said he agreed and the general manager told him to call the airport before going there, and the time he would go to the hotel.
He added that he called the airport, and was told that the flight was arriving at 4:25pm, and he called the front office manager and informed him, who told him to go to the hotel first to collect the general manager for them to go together to the airport.
While he was going to the hotel, they called him and told him that the general manager was waiting, but he told them that there was enough time left.
He said the front office manager then asked him to call the general manager, who when he got to the hotel asked him to surrender the car keys to him.
He said the general manager then told him to go home until on a Monday.
He said there were other drivers working at the hotel, adding that his day off was indicated in the roster which was prepared by the front office manager, and copies given to the drivers under him.
He said when he reported on Monday, the general manager asked him to go to the human resources office, which he did, and the manager there asked him to go home and that he would call him, which he never did.
He said he received a termination letter in December 2011, adding that he was never suspended before he was issued with the termination letter.
He further stated that no hearing meeting was held for him to attend with the management, and no reason was also given to him for his termination.
He is claiming D250,380, as damages for the unlawful termination of his service by the defendant.
He also claimed 10 percent of his salary for a period of five years, which would have been paid by the defendant as the plaintiff’s benefits to the provident fund managed by SSFHC.
Interest of 35 percent from October 2005 to date of judgment and thereafter 4 percent until date of payment, was also claimed by the plaintiff.
The case was adjourned till 1 August 2012.
