By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson, I.
A group of protesters under the banner “Redundant USTC Workers” have filed a bill of information before the Supreme Court, praying the honorable Court to prevail on the management of Cocacola bottling company to pay their just benefits.
The Supreme Court on August 17, 2004, handed down a ruling in the case involving the Redundant USTC Workers versus the United States Trading Company – compelling the management to reinstate the wrongfully dismissed employees or pay them their benefits.
However, for twenty-two years, the ruling has not been fully implemented. A situation that caused the redundant USTC Workers to pray to the high court.
“The Supreme Court heard the appeal and on August 17, 2004, now over Twenty Years, handed down its Ruling/Judgment in favor of the INFORMANTS, the USTC Redundant Workers. Informants most respectfully request Your Honours to take judicial notice of the herein-referenced Judgment/Opinion of the Honourable Supreme Court as recorded in 42 LLR 243, 258 (2004).
Hence, INFORMANTS file this BILL OF INFORMATION, respectfully begging Your Honors’ timely consideration by ordering the full and proper execution and enforcement of this Court’s Mandate of August 17, 2004, without further delays and adjournments.”
According to the Informant, the Opinion which was delivered by Mr. Justice Ishmeal P. Campbel, mandated the National Labour Court and the judge therein presiding “to resume jurisdiction and order the hearing officer to determine how many appellees were replaced with new employees so that those replaced can be reinstated or be paid in lieu of reinstatement as follows:
“those appellees who have worked for 15 years and up to 19 years should be paid 24 months; those complainants/appellees who worked for 10 years and up to 14 years should be paid 19 months; those who have worked for 5 years to 9 years should be paid 14 months; those who have worked for one year up to 4 years should be paid 8 months, and, those who are within five years of retirement as of July 2, 1990, should be paid the aggregate salary of 5 years each.”
However, according to the applies up to the date of the filing of this Bill of Information on February 13, 2025,
the referenced clear Mandate of the Supreme Court of last resort, issued on August 17, 2004, more than TWENTY (20) years ago, remains lingering in the deep seas of uncertainties, hopelessness, and indescribable frustration.
The Informant further revealed to the Supreme Court that the available records show that the Presiding Judge of the National Labour Court, Her Honour Comfort Natt, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s mandate of August 17, 2004, ordered the Hearing Office, Director of Labour Standards of the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Nathaniel Dickerson to “calculate the benefits of the wrongfully dismissed employees of the USTC, as was directed by the Supreme Court in its August 17, 2004 Opinion.
However, averted that they have
been unable to find any conclusive information or records to demonstrate that this Court’s Mandate was properly and conclusively executed.
Consistent with the orders Contained in the Supreme Court’s Opinion of August 17, 2004.
The Informant added that the Hearing Officer requested the parties, (both the Former Employees and the USTC Management) to provide his office with all necessary information, especially the employees’ payrolls – including the years of service records.
However, the informants intimated that they have found no records to show adherence by the Respondent USTC to the Court’s instruction.
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