By William Madouk
UAP Insurance Company’s defense lawyer is expected to submit an amended defence statement before the Juba High Court on Thursday, next week.
The court adjourned yesterday after plaintiff advocate Marko Reech presented an amended pledging.
“Today was set for the submission of the amended pledging or amended plain and we have already submitted it,” said Reech.
He explained that his initial statement lacked key details, such as the dates of employment and termination.
“This amendment is on the statement that we have submitted last time; there are some areas which we did not mention in accordance to section 35 of the Civil Procedure Act,” he affirmed.
However, Reech noted that the judge subsequently adjourned the court hearing to allow the defense advocate time to respond.
“The opposing party has been given time to reply or submit an amended statement of defense, so the session is set for tomorrow,” he added.
In October of last year, UAP faced disputes involving its national employees over unequal treatment and differing wages compared to foreign expatriates.
This led approximately 70 national staff to stage a sit-in strike, effectively halting UAP’s operations.
UAP Insurance dismissed at least ten national staff members for advocating improved pay, contrary to a directive from the Ministry of Labor that called for their reinstatement.
As a result, the UAP National Staff Association (UNSA) initiated legal action against the insurance firm.
Labor Verdict.
Luka Nyarsuk Nason, Chairman of the Labor Advisory Council, sent a letter dated September 29, 2023, urging UAP management to suspend all administrative actions against staff.
In October, the Ministry of Labor issued a verdict regarding the conflict between UAP management and national staff over allegations of unfair treatment and salary discrepancies.
Mary Hillary Wani, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Labor, directed UAP to immediately reinstate the ten national employees who had been dismissed.
The labor ministry also stated that positions for UAP staff currently working in Kenya would be advertised and nationalized.
However, this outlet has confirmed that none of the Ministry of Labor’s directives have been implemented by UAP Insurance Company.