A former Parmalat Zambia employee has dragged the company’s Technical manager Louise Schoon to the Lusaka High Court, seeking immediate payment of K250,000 compensation for physical assault, trauma, inconvenience and pain allegedly suffered at his hand.

Thomas Lumbwe has further asked the court to order for Schoon’s deportation, accusing him of assaulting and harassing him at the plant and going against Zambian laws.

Lumbwe who has also sued Parmalat Zambia Limited, also seeking immediate payment of K42,000, being his terminal benefits for the period that he worked for the company.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, last month Lumbwe stated that Schoon was a Technical manager at Pamalat and a South African.

He stated that he worked at Parmalat Zambia Limited as an Ultra-Temperature Technician under the supervision of Schoon, on a permanent employment condition of service.

Lumbwe stated that before being put on permanent basis, he worked on contract from 2008 to 2012.

He claimed that he had no problem with his working attitude until Schoon allegedly started harassing and intimidating him on his working culture.

Lumbwe stated that Schoon had been abusive towards him, whereby he had physically assaulted him and insulted him on several occasions.

He claimed that despite complaining to his superiors and Schoon’s supervisors, nothing had happened thereby making him report him for assault on November 9, 2018 at the police and subsequently suing him in the local courts.

Lumbwe stated that at the police, nothing happened as Schoon sent a Mr Mailosi Sialuselo to confer with him so that he withdraws all his cases and complaints so that they settle the matters excuria.

He, however, stated that this happened just to blind him so that Schoon could be let free.

Lumbwe further stated that on November 19, 2018 he handed over his resignation letter as he could not continue to work with an abuser.

He stated that his resignation was accepted, but that to date, he had not been paid his dues.

“Upon my resignation from the employment of the second defendant (Pamalat), I was and I am entitled to my terminal benefits which the second defendant has not given me since November, 2018,” Lumbwe stated.

He claimed that the conduct of Schoon led him to resign, adding that when he withdrew the matter in the local court, he was supposed to be paid compensation for physical assault and harassment but immediately after the withdrawal of the case, Schoon became rude and adamant, much to his frustration.

Lumbwe claimed that Schoon had instructed the guards at the main entrance of Parmalat not to allow him access to the company and as such, it had been difficult to pursue his terminal benefits.