Deputy Chairperson of Mzuzu Industrial court Anthony Kapaswiche has adjourned to 23 March 2023 a case in which one hundred and forty-eight former Northern Region Water Board employees are seeking compensation for unlawful dismissal.
The employees took the matter to court demanding the payment of their arrears and compensations after being unfairly dismissed in September 2020.
On Monday, lawyers representing the water board asked the court for more time to consult and asses the witness statements which they received on Friday.
Confirming the development to MIJ Online, Constantino Mandala CHRAM associates lawyer representing the former employees said when the matter was brought to court, the argument was that the dismissal was unfair because some of them have been working for the board for sixteen years.
“So, the claims that come with unfair dismissal, the court will normally grant compensation for unfair dismissal and if somebody is unfairly dismissed they are entitled to severance pay and because they were dismissed on the basis without notice on the basis that they were casual laborers we have also claimed for notice pay,” said Mandala.
Mandala said: “We agreed with counsel that some of the payments which were made like notice pay were very little not in relation to the salaries they were getting and they were also paid a token severance allowance which is contrary to the law”.
The former employees are claiming for compensation for unfair dismissal, payment for severance allowance and payment for notice pay.
However, lawyers representing the Northern Region Water Board refused to comment on the matter.
