By King News
King News 26th Sept Juba – An advocate for UAP Insurance submitted a legal objection and defense statement to Judge Francis Amum of the Juba High Court. The court had previously adjourned the case after UAP’s defense lawyers requested more time to respond to the labor dispute with former employees.
“We received them, and we are going to reply to the legal objection and statement of defense and the next session has been set on Oct 9, 2024”
The legal objection is a defense adjourned the session after UAP defense lawyers requested additional time to prepare their response to the labor case involving the former employees. Following the adjournment, Marko Reech, the plaintiff’s lawyer, addressed the media and expressed concerns about the delay.
“We went ahead with the case [to the court], but the defendant’s lawyer for UAP company said they were not ready with their reply, and they requested the court to give them more days,” Reech said.
“So, the High Court gave them a chance to prepare and come back on September 26,”
In October last year, UAP Insurance dismissed at least ten national staff members who had called for improved pay. This dismissal was contrary to the Ministry of Labor’s order, which had mandated the reinstatement of the fired employees.
In response, the UAP National Staff Association (UNSA) initiated a legal case against the insurance firm. The issue at the heart of the dispute was unequal treatment and wages between national staff and their foreign expatriate counterparts.
Tensions escalated, leading around 70 national staff members to stage a sit-in strike. The strike brought UAP’s business operations to a standstill.
Luka Nyarsuk Nason, Chairman of the Labor Advisory Council, issued a letter on September 29, 2023, asking UAP management to halt any administrative measures taken against staff during the dispute.
In October, the Ministry of Labor delivered a decision regarding the ongoing conflict between UAP management and its national staff over issues of unfair treatment and the salary structure. Mary Hillary Wani, undersecretary at the Ministry of Labor, ordered UAP to reinstate the ten axed employees immediately.
Despite the Ministry of Labor’s directive, this outlet has learned that UAP had not implemented any of the ministry’s rulings at the time of reporting. The labor ministry also mentioned that positions held by UAP staff physically working in Kenya would be nationalized and advertised.