The Durban Labour Court has ruled that it was legal to fire a team working at KFC after stock disappeared, according to a report.
"It is sufficient that the individual is a member of a team which has failed to meet its obligations, in this case to ensure there were no stock losses," said Judge Piet Shai, setting aside a ruling by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA). the Star newspaper reported.
The report said 265 pieces of chicken, 63kg of chips, 424 cans of cooldrink and 518 cans of juice disappeared.
"They were given an opportunity to come clean, but did not," Shai said.
True Blue Foods, trading as KFC in Sarnia, discovered the items only disappeared when the same team was working, and no one came forward despite several opportunities to give information.
An 11-member team was fired and the employees took it to the CCMA.
The commission ruled that their dismissal was unfair as the company had not proved they were responsible for the theft or knew who was.
It ordered the company to pay six months' compensation to each of them.
The company then approached the Labour Court and the CCMA ruling was set aside.
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