National Industrial Court orders Guinness to pay ex-employee N52 million over wrongful termination of employment

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Port-Hacourt division, Rivers State has ordered Guinness Nigeria Plc and three others to pay an aggrieved ex-employee of the company, Bright Nwosu, the sum of N52, 456,000 million, over wrongful termination of employment.

Bright Nwosu, who was employed by Guinness Nigeria Plc in 2004 as a Sales Executive, had filed a suit against the firm, on September 18, 2019, for wrongful disengagement from service

Delivering judgment in the suit marked NICN/PHC/108/2019, Justice Nelson Ogbuanya, held that Guinness Nigeria Plc, erred when it terminated the employment of Nwosu without justification, adding that evidence before the court proved that the sacked employee was diligent in his duties before the termination of his employment.

However the court declared as unacceptable the stipulation of Guinness employees’ handbook, that employees can be disengaged without expressly stating the reason behind the disengagement.

Consequently, the Judge ordered Guinness to pay Nwosu N19 million and N886,000 for his terminal benefit and gratuity respectively having worked for 15 years before his termination

The judge also ordered Guinness to pay the claimant’s two months unpaid salaries in lieu of notice, amounting to N570,000.

Furthermore, Justice Ogbuanya ordered Guinness to pay the sum of N30 million and another N2 million, to Nwosu as damages for the unfair labour practices he suffered and as cost of litigation.

The judge held that all sums of money awarded in favour of the claimant must be paid within two months from the date of judgment delivery, ruling that any delay would attract a 10 per cent interest per annum until fully liquidated.