Sulayman Bun Dawda Jobe, who along with his two colleagues sued Gambia International Airlines (GIA) for wrongful dismissal, continued his testimony on 10 June 2013 before Magistrate Jobarteh of the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal.
Mr Jobe told the tribunal that they found out that the suspension letter written to them by the management of GIA was not appropriate.
He said they decided to voice out all what the GIA management left out in their suspension letter.
Jobe stated that when they resumed for duties, they were accepted to continue to work, adding that they were working all along without problem until on 2 February 2011, when the GIA wrote to him about his retirement age.
He further adduced that on 9 February 2011, the GIA wrote a dismissal letter to him without explaining the reason, adding that they went to a solicitor so that they could sue GIA for redress.
Jobe testified that he used to receive over D20,290 per month as salary, adding that they were not paid their two months’ salary as advised by the office of the Ombudsman after their suspension.
He said that his dismissal had caused him hardship and his family, further stating that he would have achieved social security benefit and monthly pension for the rest of his life.
“We were subjected to this treatment because the GIA management was not happy when we put the office of the Ombudsman in the picture,” Jobe told the tribunal.
At this juncture, his pay slip was tendered by his counsel and the defendant’s counsel did not raise any objection.
The said pay slip was admitted by the tribunal.
He posited that he initiated the engineering department in 1983 until 1996 when funds were available and they started employing engineers to train them for the job, adding that this was how the engineering department was built up.
Jobe said that everyone appreciated his performance, further indicating that he was financially rewarded.
He stated that on one occasion, he was awarded D5,000 and his colleagues received the same amount each for bringing the engineering department back to life, that would have cost the GIA millions of dalasi.
A commendation letter written by the GIA to Mr Jobe was tendered by his counsel, E. Jah, and Kebba Sanyang, who was defending the GIA, did not object to the tendering of the said letter.
The document was admitted by the tribunal.
The case was adjourned till 3 and 9 July 2013.
