Industrial Relations Court of Malawi - 2024

11 judgments

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11 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
November 2024
Employer breached its redundancy policy and failed to meaningfully consult, rendering the dismissal unfair and attracting compensation.
Employment law – redundancy and retrenchment – s.57(1) Employment Act – duty to consult where employer’s terms/policy require it – relevance of ILO Termination of Employment Convention No.158 and Ministry of Labour guidelines – procedural fairness, meaningful consultation and use of proper evidence – unfair dismissal and compensation.
1 November 2024
June 2024
Employee unfairly dismissed due to procedural bias and defective charges; awarded compensation, severance and notice pay.
Employment law – Unfair dismissal – Procedural fairness and natural justice – Investigator sitting on disciplinary panel (bias) – Insufficient particulars in charges – Employer’s burden to prove valid reason and act with justice and equity – Compensation and severance calculations – Bonus eligibility.
24 June 2024
May 2024
Dismissal for negligently authorising suspect cheques and poor supervision was substantively and procedurally fair.
Employment law - unfair dismissal; supervisory duty and record-keeping in banking; negligence/recklessness in authorising cheques; procedural fairness in disciplinary hearings; discrimination and proportionality of dismissal.
3 May 2024
March 2024
Assessment of compensation for unfair dismissal: five months’ pay per year, pension, and 200% boost for inflationary devaluation.
Employment law – Unfair dismissal for non‑hearing (s57, s58 Employment Act) – Compensation assessment (s63(4) & s63(5)) – Years of service post‑privatisation – Employer pension contributions – Boosting awards for devaluation/inflation.
26 March 2024
February 2024
Court dismissed motion to restore stay where respondent failed to prosecute appeal and counsel cited no law, awarding costs to applicants.
Civil procedure — stay of execution pending appeal — prolonged failure to prosecute appeal — court's power to set aside irregular steps (Rule 25(k)) — requirement to cite governing law in motions.
27 February 2024
Court awarded one month’s pay per year, doubled for devaluation, and rejected unproven bonus claims.
Employment law – Unfair dismissal – Assessment of compensation under s63(4) and (5) Employment Act – One month’s pay per completed year awarded – Claim for 2018 bonuses failed for lack of evidence – 100% uplift granted for currency devaluation and inflation.
20 February 2024
Applicant proved entitlement to withheld wages, leave, overtime and pension; court awarded principal plus interest totalling MK801,738.71.
Employment law – withholding of wages and terminal benefits – entitlement to unpaid leave, overtime, wages and pension contributions; burden of proof on balance of probabilities where respondent absent; interest awardable on wrongfully withheld terminal dues (s.53 Employment (Amendment) Act 2010).
20 February 2024
Assessment of unfair dismissal compensation using current salary to preserve purchasing power; partial contribution reduces award; severance computed accordingly.
Unfair dismissal — procedural fairness — denial of right to confront witnesses; Compensation under s.63(4)–(5) Employment Act; Use of current salary to preserve purchasing power; Partial employee contribution reduces award; Severance computation under First Schedule and s.35(2); Appeal does not stay award — 50% payment pending appeal.
20 February 2024
January 2024
Employer must consult employees before retrenchment; ministerial forced leave without consultation amounted to unfair dismissal and unfair labour practices.
Labour law — retrenchment — duty to consult employees before operational dismissals — Ministerial directive without Board authority — unfair dismissal; unfair and unsafe labour practices — compensation assessment.
29 January 2024
Respondent’s internal negligence or poor communication does not justify setting aside a default judgment or staying its execution.
Industrial Relations Court – default judgment – service of process – setting aside default judgment – stay of execution pending appeal – burden to show special circumstances – internal negligence not sufficient – assessment of compensation to proceed.
17 January 2024
Stay of execution pending appeal denied for lack of special circumstances and misleading conduct; costs awarded; enforcement ordered.
Civil procedure — Stay of execution pending appeal — applicant must show special circumstances; duly served party’s non-attendance and misleading affidavits negate entitlement to stay; costs may be awarded where motion is frivolous or dilatory.
2 January 2024