Tribunal orders compensation for RDC employee fired over participation in MDP protest

The Employment Tribunal has ordered the Road Development Corporation (RDC) to pay one month’s basic salary as compensation to an employee who was dismissed without proper procedural fairness after allegedly participating in an MDP protest.

The case was filed by a senior building maintenance officer who was terminated on October 9 last year for taking part in a protest organized by opposition MDP in Male' City. RDC dismissed him under its HR policy, claiming he had engaged in anti-government activity. The employee argued that the dismissal was unlawful because he was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations and sought reinstatement and lost salary.

RDC maintained that he had participated in an illegal rally that disrupted public peace and that both substantive and procedural justice had been followed. The tribunal, however, found that while RDC had sufficient grounds under its policy to dismiss the employee without notice due to the unlawful nature of the rally, procedural fairness was not met because he was not allowed to answer the allegations before termination.

The tribunal therefore ordered RDC to pay MVR 7,750, equivalent to one month’s basic salary, as compensation under the Employment Act. The ruling, issued last week by newly appointed tribunal member Amjad Mustafa, requires RDC to pay the amount in a single installment within 15 non-official days and notify the tribunal in writing within three non-official days after payment.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has separately filed charges against eight individuals who participated in the MDP demonstration held on October 3 last year.