Court orders Arik Air to pay over $24,000 to ex-worker

An Industrial Court sitting in Lagos has ordered Arik Air to pay eight months’ salary arrears to an ex-worker, Mrs Andreia Perdigao, after she was wrongfully sacked.

 The Arik air worker approached the court after she was sacked in 2017, having worked for the airline for about three years.

She prayed that the court would order her ex-employer to pay her emoluments of several months, which remained unpaid till the time of filing this report.

 According to a judgment marked SUIT NO.: NICN/LA/532/2017 and obtained by our correspondent, the claimant, who had worked with the airline as an air hostess, was requesting her salaries from December 2016 to March 2017 before she was laid off by the airline.

 The court document put her monthly salary at $2,683.33 and the aggregate of the eight months’ salary at $21,466.64.

 The claimant, however, prayed that the court should mandate the defendant to pay the aggregate of her eight months’ salaries, put at $21,466.64 and N35m for breach of contract, among others.

 Justice M.N. Esowe, in his judgment, affirmed that a contract of employment existed between the claimant and the defendant.

 He added, “It is declared that the defendants are bound to pay to the claimant 8 (eight) months’ arrears of salary for the months of August 2016 through December 2016 and for the months of January 2017 to March 2017 when the 1 Defendant wrongfully terminated the Claimant’s employment with the IM Defendant at the sum of $2,683.33 (Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty-three United States Dollars, Thirty-three Cents) per month aggregated at the sum of $21.466.64 USD (Twenty-one Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-six ollars, sixty-four cents) for the 8 (eight) month period.

 “The court directs the defendants to pay to the claimant 8 (eight) months salary at the aggregated sum of $21,466.64 (twenty-one thousand, four hundred and sixty-six dollars, sixty-four cents).

 “The sum of $2,683.33 is hereby awarded to the claimant as general damages for breach of contract.

 “The court hereby orders the defendants to pay interest at the rate of 15 per cent on all the judgment sums from the date of delivery of the judgment until the same is fully liquidated.”

The According, however, gathered that the judgment, which was dated May 9, was yet to be effected by Arik Air at the time of filing this report.

 When contacted, the Head of Corporate Communications, Adebajo Ola, told our correspondent that he was not aware of the court ruling.

 “I am not aware of the case. I will need to find out,” Ola said.

 Our correspondent sent the document, including the suit information and suit number, to the Arik publicist as per his request.