Union members win £120,000 victory at tribunal for
lack of consultation
5th August 2008
Unite the union members who worked for defunct Swindon
printing firm Centrabell Limited, which formerly traded as
Tekprint, have won an employment tribunal claim brought against the
company.
On 14 June 2007, without warning, the staff of Centrabell Limited
were called together and told that the business was closing and
that they were redundant with immediate effect. The company
formally went into liquidation in September 2007.
Unite the union brought the case on behalf of its 22 members
claiming the firm had failed to consult with the union or the
workforce prior to closure.
Martin Hodges, Regional Officer of Unite who gave evidence at the
tribunal hearing said: “The union was given no warning of
the closure, despite the fact that we were in regular contact with
the company.”
The Bristol Employment Tribunal held that the company had made no
disclosure of the proposed redundancies to the union and that it
was only the forceful representations of Unite’s Martin Hodges that
prompted the company to even provide letters of dismissal to the
workers.
The tribunal went on to award each of the 22 Unite members
compensation of 90 days’ pay totalling more than £120k.
“The decision is great news for our members
who worked for Tekprint. The tribunal’s findings should be a
warning to employers who close companies without consulting their
staff.
“Given the complexity of the case and the costs involved, it is
unlikely that any group of non-union workers could have taken this
case through to its conclusion. This demonstrates what can be
achieved by unions for their members, even after a company has
closed.” added Martin Hodges.
Ends
For further information contact, Martin Hodges on 07795 428402 or
Martin Scanlon on 020 7420 8934
