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Citation
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Judgment date
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| January 2026 |
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Section 9 LADASA ousts the ACA; employment arbitration clauses cannot displace Industrial Court jurisdiction.
Labour law – Arbitration – Enforceability of contractual arbitration clauses in employment contracts – Section 9 LADASA excludes the Arbitration and Conciliation Act from Industrial Court proceedings – party autonomy vs statutory protection for employees.
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27 January 2026 |
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Acting Registrar acted ultra vires in vacating a garnishee nisi and varying a judge’s conditional stay; garnishee reinstated.
Labour law / execution — Conditional stay of execution — Mandatory bank guarantee covering decretal sum with interest — Breach causes stay to lapse — Garnishee proceedings — Registrar’s jurisdiction; ultra vires variation of judge’s order.
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27 January 2026 |
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Mandamus granted to compel the pensions authority to assess and compute pensions; payment enforcement premature pending certificate of order.
Administrative law – mandamus – enforcement of court awards against Government – Government Proceedings Act s.19 certificate of order requirement – Pensions Act duty to compute pensions – jurisdiction to compel assessment versus execution for payment.
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23 January 2026 |
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Uncommunicated unilateral variation of retirement age via an HR policy rendered the claimant’s retirement unlawful.
Employment law – constructive renewal of fixed-term contract; retirement age – variation by HR policy; unilateral variation requires notice/consent; authenticity of purported contract; remedies for unlawful termination (notice, severance, general damages) with interest.
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9 January 2026 |
| December 2025 |
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Claimant’s unequivocal resignation and subsequent private employment made resignation effective and payroll removal lawful.
Public service law — Resignation: when a resignation takes effect; revocation requires employer consent; absence and taking alternative employment may amount to abandonment of duty; deletion from payroll lawful where officer ceases to render services.
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23 December 2025 |
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Applicants failed to show sufficient cause; mediation and asserted ignorance did not justify extending time to file the Memorandum of Claim.
Civil procedure – extension of time – Rule 6(1)-(2) of Industrial Court Rules – "sufficient cause" test – mediation does not suspend statutory filing timelines – representation and ignorance of procedure – requirement for satisfactory explanation for delay.
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22 December 2025 |
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Claimant unlawfully summarily terminated; awarded unpaid salary, notice pay, general and aggravated damages, costs and interest.
Employment law – summary termination without notice – distinction between termination and dismissal – employer’s burden to prove lawful procedure – COVID-19 as defence to downsizing rejected for lack of chronology and evidence – remedies: unpaid salary, payment in lieu of notice, general and aggravated damages; severance and punitive damages denied – costs and interest ordered.
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12 December 2025 |
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Res judicata and lis pendens do not bar a subsequent labour claim arising after judicial review of administrative non-renewal.
Civil procedure – res judicata – applicability to subsequent labour claims; lis pendens – pending appeal and identity of issues; distinction between judicial review (public/administrative law) and labour (private contractual) remedies; stay of proceedings and inherent powers; jurisdiction of Industrial Court to hear post-termination labour claims.
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12 December 2025 |
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The claimant was unlawfully dismissed and awarded one year’s salary as general damages; exemplary damages denied.
Employment law – unfair/unlawful dismissal – procedural and substantive fairness – general damages as solatium – exemplary damages reserved for egregious misconduct – salary-linked loan claims require documentary nexus – interest and costs.
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9 December 2025 |
| November 2025 |
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Dismissal was substantively justified but procedurally unfair; claimant awarded statutory four weeks' pay and a certificate of service.
Employment law – unfair dismissal – procedural fairness (notice and right to be heard) – substantive fairness (genuine belief based on verifiable misconduct) – effect of ambiguous admissions – remedies limited to statutory compensation.
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28 November 2025 |
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Whether claimant was an employee and unfairly terminated; court found employment, unfair dismissal, and awarded damages and costs.
Employment law – employee status – tests of control, integration and mutuality; documentary evidence of salary; unfair termination for withdrawal of housing benefits and failure to pay wages; remedies – general, aggravated and punitive damages; interest and costs.
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28 November 2025 |
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An employer may not extend probation or use a flawed, undisclosed PIP to dismiss the claimant without consent and fair hearing.
Employment law — probationary limits — employer cannot extend probation beyond six months without employee's consent; estoppel where employee continues working. Performance management — PIP must be objective, participatory, documented with measurable targets; retrospective/unilateral PIP unlawful. Procedural fairness — employer must disclose material reports, afford opportunity to respond and allow representation (s.65, s.67 Employment Act). Burden — employer must prove reason for dismissal; failure renders dismissal unfair.
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25 November 2025 |
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Dismissal procedurally unfair despite substantive grounds; claimant awarded declaration, severance, reduced general damages, costs and interest.
Employment law – disciplinary procedure – requirement for written notice and access to investigation report – procedural fairness; substantive fairness – employer’s genuine belief in misconduct; falsification of minutes – higher evidentiary standard; remedies – declaration, general damages, statutory severance, costs, interest.
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21 November 2025 |
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Whether the claimant was an employee or freelancer — court found freelancer and dismissed the employment claim.
Employment relationship – distinction between employee and freelance journalist; multi-factor test (control, integration, economic reality); payments per task and lack of PAYE/NSSF; identity cards and third‑party accreditation do not alone establish employment; proof of wages and salary arrears.
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7 November 2025 |
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The claimant was unlawfully dismissed for procedural defects; awarded 13 months' severance and repatriation with interest.
Employment law – unfair dismissal – procedural and substantive fairness under Employment Act (sections 61(5), 65, 67) – stale charges and waiver – severance pay computation (1 month per year) – repatriation allowance – interest on awards.
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6 November 2025 |
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Whether an indefinite suspension and a flawed disciplinary process rendered the claimant’s resignation a constructive dismissal.
Employment law – fixed-term contract continued by employer’s conduct – constructive renewal of contract. Labour law – employer status of unincorporated association – exercises of managerial prerogative determines employer. Suspension and disciplinary process – indefinite suspension, delayed reasons and defective hearing may amount to unlawful conduct. Constructive dismissal – employer conduct that repudiates contract and renders continued employment intolerable. Remedies – severance (one month per year), general and aggravated damages, order to remit NSSF contributions, interest.
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6 November 2025 |
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Dismissal found procedurally unfair but substantively justified; limited compensation and service award granted.
Employment law – dismissal for misconduct – procedural fairness (particulars in Offence Notification Form; adequate notice; disclosure of investigation report; right to test evidence/cross‑examine) – substantive fairness (genuine belief on balance of probabilities; Burchell/Kigula tests) – concurrent criminal proceedings do not determine employment outcomes.
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4 November 2025 |
| October 2025 |
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Claimant unlawfully suspended and dismissed after an unproven ex parte disciplinary hearing; awarded severance, compensation and costs.
Employment law – unfair dismissal – procedural fairness – requirement to serve clear notice of oral disciplinary hearing and to afford employee opportunity to be heard. Employment law – suspension pending investigation – statutory four-week limitation; excessive suspension unlawful. Employment law – substantive fairness – employer must prove allegations where dismissal follows ex parte disciplinary proceedings. Remedies – reinstatement discretionary; where impracticable, severance, compensation for failure to afford hearing, general damages, gratuity, certificate of service and costs are available.
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24 October 2025 |
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Forced resignation without investigation or hearing constitutes unlawful dismissal, entitling the employee to damages.
Labour law – dismissal v termination – forced resignation as dismissal; procedural fairness – requirement of investigation, notice and hearing; substantive fairness – genuine belief and proof of misconduct; remedies – speculative future salary claims disallowed, general damages and statutory four weeks’ pay awarded; employer not liable for employee’s bank loan absent clear undertaking; workplace publications false but not defamatory without malice.
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24 October 2025 |
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Claimant was respondent’s employee (not seconded) and was summarily, unfairly and unlawfully dismissed; damages awarded.
Employment law – secondment vs recommendation – requirements for valid secondment (tripartite arrangement, employee consent, terms) – control test for employer-employee relationship – summary dismissal – statutory notice (Employment Act s.57) and grounds for summary dismissal (s.68) – remedies: declaration, pay in lieu of notice, general and aggravated damages, interest and costs.
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24 October 2025 |
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An omnibus application seeking contempt damages, arrest warrants and garnishee relief was dismissed for lack of evidence and procedural defects.
Industrial Court procedure – omnibus application – procedural multifariousness; contempt – no prior finding and res judicata; pre-judgment attachment/garnishee nisi – high threshold and need for admissible evidence; authority of advocates – notice of change and instruction letter sufficient; advocate as witness – may give affidavit but should not act as counsel on contentious matters.
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17 October 2025 |
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Post‑dismissal voluntary apology can constitute admission validating summary dismissal; employer must correct and remit NSSF contributions.
Labour law – summary dismissal – post‑dismissal apology as admission of guilt; procedural fairness – requirement of disciplinary hearing; NSSF – correct base salary for contribution computation and remittance.
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15 October 2025 |
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A timely filed notice of appeal (not a later memorandum) commences an appeal to the Industrial Court; strike-out application dismissed.
Labour law – Appeal from Labour Officer to Industrial Court – Appeal commenced by notice of appeal within 30 days under Regulation 45(1) ER (SI No. 61/2011) and Seventeenth Schedule. Procedural law – Notice of appeal versus memorandum of appeal – timely notice validly commences appeal. Civil procedure – Strike-out application – where appeal properly commenced, objections to later-filed memorandum do not justify striking out.
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14 October 2025 |
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Conditional stay of execution granted pending appeal upon deposit of security to balance applicant hardship and respondent protection.
Stay of execution – Requirements under Order 43 r.4 CPR and relevant statutes: pending appeal, likelihood of success, prompt application, security for due performance. Imminent execution – Self-executing decrees and risk of vacancy within 60 days. Likelihood of success – Interlocutory assessment: not required to prove on balance but must show appeal is not frivolous; affidavit grounds may suffice. Security – Court discretion to order partial deposit to protect respondent while avoiding undue hardship to applicant. Labour justice – Equity and hardship balancing in stay applications involving employment-related housing benefits.
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14 October 2025 |
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Dismissal was unlawful for procedural and substantive unfairness; claimant awarded damages, severance, interest and certificate of service.
Employment law – dismissal for misconduct – procedural fairness: right to particulars, access to investigation report and hearing minutes; substantive fairness: employer’s genuine belief and proof on balance of probabilities; concurrent criminal and disciplinary processes permissible; remedies: declaration of unfair dismissal, monetary compensation, severance, interest, certificate of service, limited award of costs.
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10 October 2025 |
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A dismissal effected before seeking interlocutory relief changes the status quo and defeats an injunction application.
Labour law – interlocutory injunctions in employment disputes; preservation of status quo; effect of summary dismissal on injunctive relief; delay and equitable discretion; mootness of applications overtaken by events.
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10 October 2025 |
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Employer failed to follow statutory disciplinary procedure; dismissal found procedurally and substantively unlawful with monetary relief awarded.
Employment law – unfair and unlawful dismissal – requirement for notice, particulars of allegations and right to a fair hearing (Employment Act ss. 65/67). Investigative suspension – employer must produce suspension correspondence and investigation report before disciplinary decision. Burden of proof – employer must prove negligence/gross misconduct on balance of probabilities with supporting evidence and records. Remedies – payment in lieu of notice, severance (one month per year served), unpaid suspension pay, general and punitive damages, and interest. Costs – no order as to costs in labour disputes absent exceptional circumstances.
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10 October 2025 |
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Constructive dismissal found; applicants awarded unpaid wages, severance, notice pay and general damages; several benefit claims denied.
Employment law – constructive dismissal; unilateral variation of employment terms without consultation; Collective Bargaining Agreement incorporation; severance computed under Employment Act where CBA is silent; proof requirements for overtime, public holiday pay and untaken leave; awards for unpaid wages, notice pay, severance and general damages; interest on awards.
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7 October 2025 |
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Valid LO referral; claimant awarded general and exemplary damages for constructive dismissal; aggravated damages denied.
Labour law – constructive dismissal; Labour Officer referral to Industrial Court; entitlement to general and exemplary damages; mitigation and employability; costs in employment disputes; effect of consent order on subsequent damages claims.
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3 October 2025 |
| September 2025 |
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Withdrawal of AOC justified economic retrenchment but failure to give statutory notice rendered terminations unlawful; severance and damages awarded.
Labour law – collective termination – Section 80EA notice requirements; substantive vs procedural fairness; AOC withdrawal as regulatory/licensing failure (not force majeure); reliefs – severance for unlawful termination; pension/provident fund claims require scheme deed and evidence; repatriation requires statutory eligibility; interest and costs awards.
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18 September 2025 |
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A managerial employee's endorsement of an unnotified strike in an essential service justified lawful summary dismissal.
Labour law — dismissal for participation in industrial action — procedural fairness in disciplinary hearings (notice, particulars, right to be heard, suspension) — lawful vs unlawful strike under LADASA — enhanced procedural requirements for essential services — managerial duty of trust and confidence — employer's genuine belief and managerial prerogative in dismissal.
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9 September 2025 |
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Employee constructively dismissed after unlawful suspension and flawed disciplinary process; collaboration held liable and substantial remedies awarded.
Employment law – constructive renewal of fixed-term contract where employer retains employee and continues payment; unincorporated collaboration as employer – managerial prerogative test; unlawful indefinite suspension and lack of due process; constructive dismissal where employer’s conduct repudiates contract; remedies – severance, general and aggravated damages, NSSF remittance, interest.
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8 September 2025 |
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Court declares claimants unlawfully terminated and awards compensation following precedent set in a materially identical prior case.
Employment law – Unlawful termination – Stare decisis – Consequential orders – Application of precedent in labour disputes – Award of damages and costs.
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5 September 2025 |
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A freely signed mutual separation agreement, acted upon by the employee, precludes later claims of unlawful termination.
Employment law – mutual separation agreement – validity of MSA – consent, coercion/duress, Contracts Act principles – approbation and reprobation – entitlement to termination benefits.
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2 September 2025 |
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Claimant’s unauthorised acceptance of another public appointment terminated his substantive employment; subsequent part‑time termination was lawful.
Employment law – termination – public officer taking another public appointment without authorisation – automatic deletion from payroll severing substantive employment. Public Service Standing Orders (F‑a(14)) – prohibition on holding two appointments or drawing two public salaries. Part‑time/ad hoc engagement – task‑by‑task termination lawful where no further tasks offered. Remedies – notice, severance, NSSF, accrued leave, damages and interest denied where employment was voluntarily terminated and claims unproven.
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1 September 2025 |
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Contempt of court cannot arise from disobedience of a Labour Officer's cease and desist order, as such orders are not court orders.
Labour law – Contempt of court – Labour Officer's authority – Whether contempt can arise from disobedience of a Labour Officer's order – Definition of court orders for purposes of contempt – Employment Act – Labour Disputes Act – Administrative versus judicial proceedings.
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1 September 2025 |
| August 2025 |
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Court granted leave for 1236 former employees to file a representative suit challenging alleged unlawful termination after UNRA's repeal.
Labour law – Civil procedure – Representative action – Commonality of interest for former employees challenging termination following dissolution of statutory body – Requirements for instituting suit on behalf of others under Order 1 Rule 8 of CPR – Advertisement of representative orders.
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29 August 2025 |
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Termination on reputational grounds without proper hearing or investigation amounted to unlawful and unfair dismissal, entitling remedies.
Employment law – unfair and unlawful termination – fair hearing – disciplinary procedures – procedural fairness – severance pay – damages – disguised dismissal – employer’s right of termination – reputational risk and dismissal.
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29 August 2025 |
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Dismissal for submitting forged academic documents was held lawful; university staff member ordered to vacate staff housing and reimbursed for renovations.
Employment law – fair termination – procedural and substantive fairness – forged credentials – disciplinary process – university staff – employment benefits – occupation of staff housing – right to be heard – remedies upon dismissal.
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29 August 2025 |
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An application to extend time for filing a labour claim was dismissed for failure to show sufficient cause for the inordinate delay.
Labour law – extension of time – sufficient cause – delay in prosecution – incarceration as justification – unexplained delay – discretionary powers of court – procedural compliance
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25 August 2025 |
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Employee’s summary dismissal for alleged survey misconduct was unlawful; employer failed to prove valid reasons, general and aggravated damages awarded.
Employment law – unfair dismissal – employer must prove existence, validity and nexus of reasons for dismissal; inadequate particulars render dismissal unlawful – wrong sketch map insufficient to prove conspiracy or causation – remedies: general and aggravated damages; salary to retirement and special damages speculative and denied.
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22 August 2025 |
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A claim against Uganda Railways Corporation for terminal benefits was dismissed as time-barred under the special statutory 12-month limitation period.
Employment law – limitation of actions – interpretation of Section 52(b) Uganda Railways Corporation Act – special limitation statute applicable to employment claims against Uganda Railways Corporation – period of limitation – access to justice and awarding of costs in labour disputes.
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22 August 2025 |
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A teaching hospital with no legal personality may still be sued as a putative employer under the Employment Act.
Employment law – Putative employer – Claim against non-incorporated institution – Corporate personality – Expansive statutory definition of 'employer' – Substance over form in labour disputes.
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20 August 2025 |
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A public employee's dismissal based on a later-overturned conviction was held unlawful due to lack of a fair hearing and procedural safeguards.
Employment law – unfair and unlawful dismissal – procedural fairness – right to be heard – effect of criminal conviction quashed on appeal – remedies for unlawful termination.
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19 August 2025 |
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The court found constructive dismissal where an employee was kept in a prolonged acting role without confirmation, pay, or communication.
Employment law – Constructive dismissal – Unreasonable employer conduct – Collective Bargaining Agreement – Acting appointments – Termination by employee – Remedies for breach of contract – Severance pay – General damages – Failure to pay acting allowance – Abolition of substantive post.
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18 August 2025 |
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An employer’s prolonged acting appointment, failure to pay allowances, and abolition of post amounted to constructive dismissal.
Employment law – constructive dismissal – acting appointments beyond stipulated period – employer’s breach of terms of employment and CBA – failure to pay acting allowance – abolition of substantive role – remedies for constructive dismissal – severance pay – general damages – costs.
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18 August 2025 |
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A claim of constructive dismissal fails where the employer took reasonable corrective action and the employee affirmed the contract.
Employment Law – Constructive Dismissal – Repudiatory breach – Reasonableness test – Employer’s corrective measures – Failure to properly evaluate evidence – Award of remedies on constructive dismissal set aside.
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12 August 2025 |
| July 2025 |
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The court ruled the claimant's dismissal procedurally and substantively unfair due to breaches in disciplinary process.
Employment law – Unfair dismissal – Procedural and substantive fairness – Remedies for unlawful dismissal.
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11 July 2025 |
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Claimant awarded salary arrears and damages in employment dispute despite respondent's non-existence claim.
Employment Law – Claim for unpaid salary – Validity of employment contract – Corporate personality in employment disputes – General damages.
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7 July 2025 |
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Court grants leave to digitize the Industrial Court's registry and sub-registries for improved access and efficiency in labour justice.
Labour Law – Court administration – Application to commission digital courts and implement electronic case management system – Access to justice – Efficiency and transparency in judicial process
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3 July 2025 |