Fired worker wins $.36M from BWIA

CASH-strapped national airline BWIA was yesterday ordered by the Industrial Court to pay a dismissed worker a whopping $360,000 in damages for his dismissal from the company in 1997.

According to the court’s oral judgment, Rudolph Ottley is to be paid the money by February 27. A written judgment is expected to be given next week. Ottley has instructed the law firm Martin George and Company to write to the company to collect his award. Ottley, a senior manager with the airline, was dismissed in what the company called a redundancy, based on corporate restructuring. Ottley fought the dismissal through the Superintendents’ Association.

The association’s attorneys, Avory Sinanan and Martin George, described the restructuring as a sham, because it involved a scenario where Ottley was invited to apply for another position with the company, for which neither he nor any of the other applicants were successful. The Court heard that shortly after the interview, a member of the interviewing panel got the position. Attorneys Sinanan and George alleged that the restructuring was all part of a massive cover-up in order to get rid of Ottley. Ruling in favour of the attorneys’ arguments, the Industrial Court held that the dismissal was harsh and oppressive and contrary to good industrial relations practices.