tanzania portland cement co ltd vs the minister for labour 2 1997 tzca 92 18 december 1997

IN THE COURT Of: APPEAL OF T A N Z A N I A A T P A R ES S A L A A M CIVIL A P P LI C A TI O N NO. 73 OF 1 9 9 7 In the M a t t e r of In tended Ap peal BETWEEN T A N Z A N I A P O RT LA N D CE ME NT CO. LTD. ... APPLICANT AN D THE MINISTER FOR LABOUR ... RESPONDENT ( A p p l i c a t i o n for st ay of e x e c u ti o n fr om the decis ion of the High C o ur t at Dnr es Salaam) (Bu b o s i n, J.) dat ed the 8t h. O c to b er , 1 9 9 7 in M is c e l la n e o u s Civil A p pl ica tion No. 16 of 1 9 9 6 RULING R A M A D H A N I. J.A.: The a p p l i c a n t c o m p a n y di sm is sed sixt een e m p lo y e e s b u t w a s or de re d by th e r e s p o n d e n t M in i s t e r to re in s ta te t h e m and tha t order w a s uph el d by BUBESHI, J. D i s a ti s fi e d , th e a p p li c a n t c o m p a n y has filed a not ice of appeal in this C o u r t and, m e a n w h i l e , t her e is this app li ca ti on for stay of ex e c u ti o n . In the c o u n t e r - a f f i d a v i t , the r e s p o n d e n t appeared to p u t f o r w a r d a p r e li m in a r y o b j e c t i o n . It has been c o n t e n d e d tha t the in te n de d appeal requires leave to appeal w h i c h has n o t been ob ta in ed . Dr. M a p u n d a , the learned c o un s el for the a p p li c a n t , p o i n t e d o u t tha t there is already an a p p li c at io n for leave to appeal b e f o r e the Hig h C o ur t. In add it ion , the learned a d v o c a t e p o i n t e d o u t t h a t t he r e is no need fo r s u c h leave. He cited s. 17(5) of the L a w Re fo rm (Fatal A c c i d e n t s and M i s c e l l a n e o u s Provisions) O rdi nan ce ( A m e n d m e n t ) A c t , 1 9 6 8 . The o b j e c t i o n is w i t h o u t m er it as there is already an a pp li c at io n for leave to appeal w h i c h w a s filed by the a p p li c an t in ig no ra nc e of the said s. 17(5), as it w a s p u t by Dr. M a p u n d a , learned cou n s el of the applicant. T h a t s u b s e c t i o n p r o v id e s as fo ll ow s : (5) A n y p er s on ag g ri ev e d by an order m ade und er this s e c t io n m a y ■appeal t h e r e f r o m to the C o u rt of Ap pea l of East Af rica. M y u n d e r s t a n d i n g of th a t s e c ti on is tha t leave to appeal is no t required. Dr. M a p u n d a has s u b m i t t e d tha t if stay of e x e c u ti o n is n o t gr an t e d , the a p p li c a n t is g o i n g to s u f f e r irreparable injury in tha t at the m o m e n t it is in financial d o l d r u m and has c u t d o w n e m p l o y m e n t , so the dismi ss ed e m p lo y e e s c a n n o t be g iv e n any e m p l o y m e n t to do. The e m p lo y e e s will also have to be paid their arrears and if the in t e n d e d appeal is s u c c e s s f u l , it will be d i f f ic u l t to r ec ov er the s u m s paid to t h e m . T h a t will m a k e the appeal r e d u n d a n t . On the ot her hand, the a p p li c a n t c o m p a n y can , at any tim e, pay th e e m p lo y e e s their dues should the appeal fail. Dr. M a p u n d a has also said t h a t the i n te n d e d appeal has great ch a n c e s of success. On b e h al f of th e r e s p o n d e n t , w a s Mr. Malaba, Senior State A t t o r n e y . He s u b m i t t e d t h a t the a p p li c a n t c o m p a n y has n o t s h o w n in the af fi d a v it w h a t irreparable d a m a g e a refusal to g r a n t s t a y o f e x e c u ti o n will result. In add ition the learned Senior State A t t o r n e y has said t h a t the a p p li c an t c o m p a n y is app lyi ng for st ay o f e x e c u t i o n to s ui t its c o n v e n i e n c e and th a t the state of its e c o n o m ic p o s it io n is irrelevant. A s p r o p e r l y p o i n t e d o u t by Mr. Malaba, in The Bank of Tanzania v. The M in i s te r of La b o u r & Ei ght O th e rs , Civil A p p li c a t io n s Nos. 1 1 and 1 2 of 1 9 9 7 , w h i c h w a s like th is a p p li c a t i o n , this C o u rt refus ed to gr ant stay of e x e c u t i o n . In th e pr e s e n t a p p l i c a t i o n , if the a p p li c a n t c o m p a n y is in financial diff ic ul tie s, then the m o r e the r ea s on t h a t the e m p lo y e e s be paid their dues. Should the i n te n d e d appeal fail, the e m p l o y e e s m a y face th e same d i f f i c u l t y of re c o v e r in g their due s like t h a t w h i c h m a y fac e the a p p li c a n t c o m p a n y fearS should it suc cee d. A n u m b e r of dec is io ns , in c lu d in g the one cit ed of The Bank of Tanzania, pr ov id e th a t if the loss feared is m o n e t a r y th en c o u r t s are r e lu c t a n t to order stay of e x e c u ti o n as the loss c a n n o t be said to be irreparable. The a p p l i c a t i o n is di s m is s ed w i t h cost s. It is so ordered. D A T E D in DA R ES S A L A A M this 18t h. day of D e cem be r, 1 9 9 7 . A .S. L. R A M A D H A N I JUSTICE OF APPEAL.