The Industrial Relations Court (IRC) in Blantyre is set to deliver its judgement in a case where three ex top bosses at conglomerate Press Corporation plc are contesting unfair dismissal.
A public notice dated 1 October 2024; the Deputy Chairperson of IRC says the court will deliver its judgment on the matter on Friday 18th October 2024 at 9am.
The three, former Group Chief Executive Officer George Partridge, former Chief Financial Controller Elizabeth Mafeni and former General Counsel Benard Ndau dragged PCL to court after their contracts of employment were unceremoniously terminated in December 2021, in what the PCL board termed ‘a retrenchment exercise’.
At that time of their firing, social media was awash with stories that the three were fired because their salaries were too high.
However, during trial, it was argued by the ex-employees that they were not consulted during the retrenchment exercise and that it was done in a secretive manner.
It was also contended that there was no valid reason for the retrenchment as their salaries were set and approved by the same board and that their positions were later filled up. They argued therefore that the retrenchment was a ‘smokescreen’ to get rid of them anyway.
During trial, there was drama in court when one of PCL directors Stewart Malata was put in a corner to produce minutes of the board meeting which recommended the ‘retrenchment’ of the trio.
Malata argued that the ‘retrenchment’ was part of the implementation of the strategic plan and that consultations were done by the Consultant when he circulated forms to all members of staff requesting them to submit various data.
But in cross examination by defence lawyer John Suzi Banda, Malata was at pains to produce the minutes of the meeting, let alone the Consultant report on the functional review which based its decision to fire the three.
Malata told the court that he could not produce the minutes and the report because he felt they were not necessary but the defence pinned him to at least state a date when the board meeting took place. Malata could not remember.
The Court even adjourned for some minutes to let Malata consult with some senior PCL bosses who were in court to refresh his memory on the date of the board meeting, but even on resumption of the case, Malata could still not remember the date when the meeting took place.
PCL is being represented by lawyer Patrick Mpaka from Destone and Company while Suzi Banda is representing the three former bosses.
