Sunbird to cough K80m in compensations

The Industrial Relations Court (IRC) in Blantyre has ordered Sunbird Tourism to cough K80 million in compensations for two different cases of unfair dismissals.

In one case, a Sunbird former technical services manager Stone Nkhondodwe was granted K46 million while his three colleagues were awarded K33.6 million in a separate case.

IRC found Sunbird guilty of unfairly dismissing Nkhondodwe without notice in March 2012.

The axed employee, represented by lawyer Alfred Majamanda said after his dismissal, he only secured another employment in December 2014 with the Blantyre City Council (BCC) as deputy director of engineering services.

IRC deputy chairperson Jack N’riva said there was evidence that the applicant found a less paying job and he deserved compensation.

N’riva said: “I, therefore, in my considered opinion, direct that the applicant should be compensated for 30 months…I am disinclined to order payment of earnings up to retirement.”

The court noted that Nkhondodwe’s total remuneration was K1 479 191, which, for 30 months, amounted to K44 379 730.

N’riva ordered Sunbird to pay Nkhondodwe a further K2 million for its failure to buy him a car as per condition of service, bringing the total amount to K46 379 73.

In the other case, the High Court in Blantyre on January 19 this year awarded Elvis Bauleni K22.4 million, Biko Thindwa K5.5 million and Rita Makwangwala K5.2 million.

The three, the court learnt, were also dismissed without notices.

In this matter, after losing the case at IRC, the company appealed at the High Court, but the High Court upheld the lower court’s decision.

Bauleni and Thindwa were sales and marketing managers while Makwangwala was key account manager.