FRANK JOWAN & ORS. V. DELTA STEEL COMPANY LTD.

ALI ABUBAKAR BABANDI GUMEL. JCA (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This is an appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Benin Judicial Division in Suit No. FHC/B/142/95 delivered on 6th August,2002. The appellants were employed on different dates by the Respondent. Each of them had worked in different capacities for a period of over ten years. In the year 1995, the respondent embarked on a staff rationalization exercise in the course of which the appellants were declared redundant. By a letter dated 6th October, 1995, the Respondent, upon declaring the appellants' redundant dispensed with their services.

In November, 1995, the appellants, as Plaintiffs, brought a representative action before the lower Court, on behalf of themselves and other staff of the Respondent that were affected by the staff rationalization exercise that led to the loss of their respective employments. In their further Amended Statement of Claim dated 6th November, 2000, the Appellants, as Plaintiffs…