Outcomes - Selected Case Summaries
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Unlawful Labour Case Delays
Investigation | 06 March 2020
Labour Appeals Tribunal (LAT)
A complainant experienced a six-month delay in his appeal before the LAT. He had been awarded payment for wrongful termination by the LT but his former employer appealed that decision. The LAT was unable to hear the appeal within the three months required by the Labour Law (2011 Revision). The hearing of the matter was well outside statutory timeframes.
During the course of our investigation, we discovered almost a dozen other LAT cases that had exceeded the legal timeline set for hearings, some by as long as two years.
The Ombudsman found in favour of the complainant and recommended that his appeal be heard within 30 days. The Ombudsman also recommended that the DLP ensure that the LAT had adequate staffing to ensure that the backlog of appeals would be properly addressed. We also recommended that both the LT and the LAT consider implementing virtual meeting technology where appropriate. We are monitoring this file to ensure that our recommendations are implemented.