The National Industrial Court, Abuja has ordered GIG Nig. Ltd to pay its former staff, Victor Adedayo, N500,00 as damages for unlawful termination of employment within 30 days.
The court also ordered the payment of N50,000 being salary in lieu of notice for termination within 30 days.
Justice Sanusi Kado delivering judgment held that the verbal termination of the claimant’s employment was wrongful in law.
He further stated that the law required parties to abide by their agreement, terms and conditions service as they were the bedrock of employment dispute.
From fact, the claimant, Adedayo had submitted that when he resumed for work on July 26,2017, that his branch manager informed him verbally to go back home, that he was neither issued a notice of termination of employment nor paid salary in lieu of notice as required by his contract of employment.
The claimant in addition submitted that every efforts made to ensure the reversal of that decision proved abortive, he therefore urged the court to grant the reliefs he sought.
In response, the defendant, averred that Adedayo was dismissed because he absconded from duty and his failure to respond to queries.
The defendant equally stated that the dismissal notice was sent via email and urged the court to dismiss the case in its entirety.
The judge, however after going through the submissions of both parties held that the purported query issued to the claimant was a two-page document.
Kado in addition said that however, it was only page one that was tendered by the firm leaving out the second page and no explanation was offered on what happened to it or why it was not tendered in evidence.
According to the judge, this action made the purported query an incomplete document and of no evidential value.
“The evidence of DW1 on the dismissal of the claimant was clumsy and in conflict.
“A careful perusal of exhibit CWE will clearly show that it was not a letter of dismissal of the claimant from service. He ruled. (NAN)
