John Mendy, a former employee of Sankung Sillah & Sons, has dragged the company to the Industrial Tribunal for unlawful termination of his service.
In his testimony, John Mendy told the tribunal that his salary in 2007 was increased to D3,400 from D3,200 because of his performance, including transport allowance.
He said that in the same year, he was promoted as a general mechanic, and still had responsibility for the office generator.
In 2008, he stated, he was given a recommendation letter because of his performance, adding that one month after he received the letter, he was terminated.
He adduced further that before the termination, he went on night duty, adding that electricity from NAWEC was off at 8 pm.
He said that when he took over his shift at 10 pm, the afternoon shift worker, Abdoulie Jallow, advised him to observe the fuel level of the generator because it had gone down, stating that he did that up to 11:30 pm.
The plaintiff added that he went to the shift leader, and told him that he wanted to call the factory manager to inform him that the generator fuel was running down.
He further narrated that the shift leader told him that if the fuel had run down so much, then he should shut down the generator, and wait for NAWEC current supply to resume.
Still testifying, Mendy told the tribunal that he did as he was told.
He said that the generator re-started running up to 1:30 am, yet still NAWEC’s light did not come on. Then at 7:45am, the company’s managing director came, and asked him what happened.
Mendy said he told the MD that the fuel was at the mark where the engine could stop at any time, and that he did not want the machine to airlock.
“I told him I made a call to the factory manager, and it was he who instructed me to do that,” he testified.
Mendy added that the MD asked him to go and wait, and that at 10 am, the MD called a meeting which was attended by the other staff, and again asked him to explain.
“From that meeting, I went home. I continued working and nobody blamed me for anything,” he said.
He testified that about a month later, a machine broke down at the soap factory at about 6:30 am, and that the shift leader at the soap factory called him to check the machine.
He said he checked, and noticed that there was a broken plate that usually takes the soap out from the machine for packaging.
He said he waited for the supervisor and the welder to come, adding that he showed them the plate, when they came.
He testified that the supervisor asked him to go home because he (plaintiff) had finished his night shift at 8 am.
“I went home at 9 am. I was given a termination letter after I reported for work two days later,” he further narrated.
The case at that juncture was adjourned to 16 November 2011, for cross-examination.
The plaintiff, John Mendy, is claiming the sum of D340,000 for services rendered to the defendant and for unlawful termination, damages for breach of contract and interest at 25 percent with costs.
He was represented by the Secretary General of the Gambia Workers’ Union, Ebrima Garba Cham.
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