Management of Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana has resolved to sack a number of workers, citing the impact of the Coronavirus as the main reason.

A memo to workers, dated August 31 and signed by the Business Unit Managing Director West Africa of the Company, Felix Gomis revealed that affected employees shall receive a “redundancy pay and in lieu of notice, a payment shall be made for the notice period, where necessary”.

According to management, leadership of all Trade Unions, Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) and Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance (UNICOF), have been notified in accordance with law. It also stated that management will be with them to discuss the terms and conditions of the severance. 

In August, 2020, the National Labour Commission (NLC) declined jurisdiction over a petition filed by 90 employees of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Limited (CCBL) over the wrongful termination by their employer.

According to the CCBL, the petition was not grounded in law and had no basis. Consequently, the Commission directed the petitioners to go to court to seek redress.

On July 18, 2020, the former employees filed a complaint against the company at the NLC asking the Commission to compel their employers to pay them three months of redundancy package.

Led by Mr. Emmanuel Adable, the petitioners brought the instant action against Coca-Cola for allegedly forcing them to resign without paying their redundancy compensation.

They stated that the non-payment of the package was in contravention of Article 57 (c) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which requires that Coca-Cola pays a severance award of three and half months’ salary for each completed year.

However, in their response, CCBL asked the NLC to dismiss the petition over what it described as “unlawful termination” of their appointments.