The Industrial Court has dismissed a claim by former Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank (ECAB) employee Edzel Joseph, ruling his termination after 27 years of service was justified due to gross misconduct.

Joseph, an Attendant in the Facilities Department, was dismissed in September 2018 after being found in possession of a CCTV sign reported missing from the bank. He argued the sign had been discarded and retrieved from a dump site, but the court found evidence suggesting he altered the sign to support his account.

The court also rejected his claim of procedural unfairness, stating dismissal was inevitable even if a formal hearing had been held. It noted that unauthorised possession of company property is a serious breach in the banking sector.

Joseph, who had previously been warned about misconduct, was denied compensation and retirement contributions, with the court ruling the dismissal was not harsh or unfair.