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Judgment No. SC 35/18
Civil Appeal No. SC 519/17
It is abundantly clear from the foregoing that the respondent’s claim for unpaid
allowances was founded upon the 2009 CBA. However, as I have already observed, the
2009 CBA of 17 February 2009 is deafeningly silent on the allowances that are the subject
of these appeal proceedings. It is common cause that there is no other agreement that was
concluded in 2009. Indeed, as counsel for the respondent was constrained to concede,
although the benefits claimed might have been in existence, it is not clear where the benefits
granted were recorded.
What then emerges is that the respondent’s cause of action in respect of the
school fees allowance and fuel allowance increase was founded on an instrument which is
either irrelevant or non-existent. It is therefore absolutely unclear what agreement or
document was presented to and considered by the arbitrator and the court a quo to support
the respondent’s claims for those allowances. These claims are simply not sustainable on
the papers before this Court. However, for the sake of completeness, I will proceed to
consider the additional submissions made by counsel in respect of those allowances.
In any event, in light of the above findings, it becomes unnecessary to
determine the applicability aspect of the third ground of appeal, to wit, whether the court a
quo erred in concluding that the 2009 CBA pertained to the respondent which was not a
party thereto and which had not been formed as at 2009. Indeed, at the hearing of the
appeal, this aspect was not ventilated at all by either counsel, as it became obvious that it
had been rendered otiose.
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