Alice Secka, the acting Human Resources Manager at Ocean Bay Hotel, on 16 October 2012 testified before Magistrate Dawda Jallow at the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal on behalf of the hotel.
Fanta Sanneh, the plaintiff, sued the hotel for wrongful termination.
In her testimony, Alice Secka told the tribunal that she lives at Brusubi, and knows the plaintiff.
She adduced that she was present when the plaintiff was terminated, adding that the plaintiff was employed by the defendant as housekeeping staff.
She added that the plaintiff was working in the rooms as a room maid, and there were complaints of theft by the guests.
Whenever they received a theft complaint, she narrated, they would consult the rooms supervisor and also the mini bar waiter, who had access to the same room which the plaintiff was assigned to clean.
She further testified that management decided to remove the plaintiff and the mini bar waiter out of the room, except the supervisor.
Ms Secka stated that when the plaintiff was redeployed within the same department, that is, the laundry area with the same terms and conditions of work and the same salary, the plaintiff refused to perform her duties.
The plaintiff was then called for a hearing, after which she still refused to perform her duties, adding that the plaintiff was disciplined by giving her three warning letters, but she still insisted not to do her duties.
Alice Secka further told the tribunal that when they called for the final hearing, they decided to terminate the plaintiff’s employment.
Prior to this, said the witness, the plaintiff’s supervisor took the plaintiff to her office, adding that she (the witness) advised the plaintiff to comport herself in the new position, but she would not listen and insisted that she would not work in a public area.
The plaintiff was then suspended, she said.
She indicated that the defendant could dismiss based on the hotel’s rules, adding that the plaintiff was paid her benefits when her service was terminated.
She testified that the reason for terminating the plaintiff’s service was that she refused to take orders from her head of department.
The plaintiff was rude to her head of department, and she refused to work in the laundry area.
The case was adjourned to 5 November 2012, for cross-examination.
