Brikama Fish Market Project case commences

One Mamina Fadera, who claimed his service was wrongfully terminated along with Yankuba Sanneh by the Brikama Fish Market Project, on 9 December 2013 testified before Magistrate Jobarteh, chairman of the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal.

In his testimony, he told the tribunal he lives at Brikama and was working at the Brikama Fish Market as Ice sales manager, whilst his colleague, Yankuba Sanneh, was a chill room attendant.

He said that while they were at work on 7 July 2013 they received from the management dismissal letters dated 26 May 2013.

Mr Fadera posited that they were not given notification for hearing, adding that the person who gave him the dismissal letter told him it was from the management board.

He revealed that they went to the board and asked the acting chairman, Dembo Keleng Bojang, who told him they were not aware of the letter.

He said that from there, they went to the Labour Department, who phoned the management to shed light on the said letter, and later invited the management for a meeting.

The case was then adjourned till 16 December 2013. When the case resumed on this date, Fadera told the tribunal that they were all invited by the Labour Commissioner, who concluded that the management should consider reinstating them or pay their claim.

He further adduced that the management accepted it, and they waited for two weeks but to no avail.

Fadera narrated that the Labour commissioner advised them to sue the management.

A letter written by the plaintiffs was tendered by Garba Cham and was admitted by the tribunal.

He further testified that no employment letter was issued to him, but they were receiving pay slips.

Garba Cham applied to tender the said pay slips and his application was granted.

The tribunal admitted the pay slips.

Fadera said the 2012 and 2013 pay slips were not issued to him, adding that they were given dismissal letters and paid their salaries for 2012 and 2013.

At this juncture, Garba Cham applied to tender the dismissal letters and his application was granted by the tribunal, who admitted the said dismissal letters.

Fadera further told the tribunal that he was never absent from work nor was he going to work late.

He said he did his work as expected of him when he was on night shift, adding that they had a time book which was stopped or closed in 2012.

Fadera posited that one Sering Modou, who was the board secretary, signed the dismissal letters, adding that they were claiming as per their praecipe.

The case was adjourned till 7 January 2014.