LABOUR COURT COMMITS CHINESE TO PRISON
 
The Directorate of Dispute Prevention and Resolution (DDPR) says people who fail to comply with orders made in arbitration awards by the DDPR will be subjected to arrests, which may lead to imprisonment for six months. The Directorate made this warning after imprisonment of a Chinese businessman who refused to comply with an order of the Labour Court to pay salaries to 23 employees.
        

A press release from the Directorate of Dispute Prevention and Resolution (DDPR) states that Mr. Chen Hui Lin who operated a building construction company called Hong Ye Construction in Maseru had been sued at the DDPR by his former employees who claimed monies, which were supposed to have been paid while they were in his employment. According to the release, Mr Lin ignored the DDPR referral summons and did not attend the proceedings as such an award was made in default
against him.
        

The release shows that  he again refused to pay sums that the DDPR ordered him to pay as stated in the arbitration, adding that in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code Order, the employees filed an application in the Labour Court, for the court to enforce the award. It added that the Labour Court in exercising powers conferred on it by Law issued a warrant of arrest against Mr. Lin. It further added that
he was arrested and presented to the Labour Court, which ordered that he be
kept in prison until he pays the money.
          

The press release said 24 people who failed to comply with the orders have already been arrested, some of whom are prominent businessmen in the country. The DDPR has therefore asked people to attend its proceedings when they are called to appear and if orders are made against them, they should comply, adding that if they do not comply, they would most certainly be arrested and imprisoned. The DDPR is a body established in terms of the Labour Code (Amendment) Act 2000. It has been established among other things to resolve labour disputes through the process of conciliation and arbitration.

05 August, 2002

 

  SOURCE: LENA