Court orders Rangali to re-instate 22 former employees

High Court has ruled in favor of the Employment Tribunal’s order for Crown Company to re-instate 22 employees fired from its resort – Conrad Maldives Rangali Resort.

The 22 former employees were fired in 2011 pleading redundancy due to repair work on the resort’s rooms.

The case was filed with the Employment Tribunal, which ruled the 22 people must be re-instated to their previous posts or posts of equal stature. And that they must be paid their salary and increments.

Crown Company appealed the decision with the High Court, which last Wednesday backed the Employment Tribunal’s ruling.

High Court said in its ruling that the employees were fired without prior warning and without due procedural justice. It said the employees claimed they were given notice of termination one day before they were terminated. A claim which Crown Company did not deny.

It also said that though some of the rooms at the resort were closed temporarily due to repair work, it was not a premise to claim redundancy. The court said that instead of firing the employees, they could have been placed on no-pay leave, or leave with half their salary.

High Court upheld the Employment Tribunal’s ruling with the unanimous vote of all judges presiding over the case.