Wrexham Drivers Awarded £60,000 for Unfair Dismissal
Three Wrexham drivers awarded £60,000 for unfair dismissal.
The case hinged on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations – or TUPE which protects workers’ rights when a business changes ownership.
In March 2010 the three drivers transferred goods stored for customers from one unit on Wrexham Industrial Estate to a new one and were then dismissed.
The contracts they had worked on had continued to operate from the new unit and they had watched their lorries doing the work.
At a pre-hearing in Shrewsbury in January it was ruled that Keith Stokes – who traded as Keith Stokes Transport Services – had transferred the business to a new limited company, Transport and Storage Services Ltd, of which he was a director and the transport manager.
The tribunal was due to listen to arguments at Mold Law Courts on Friday about whether or not the three drivers – Peter Glaspole, Peter Darlington and Paul Bryan – had been unfairly dismissed. But lawyers for the company admitted there had been a breach of TUPE regulations and their dismissal was automatically unfair.
Mr Glaspole was awarded £22,205, Mr Darlington was awarded £15,536 and Mr Bryan £23,337.
The company had also failed to issue contracts of employment to the drivers and was ordered to pay two weeks wages to each of the three men for that.
Are You HR Compliant?
If I asked you whether your business was HR compliant would you know? Answer my simple questionnaire and I will send you a report detailing what I think you are doing well and what you need to change, particularly areas that are putting your business at risk.
HR doesn’t need to bureaucratic, but it does need doing otherwise you risk receiving time-consuming and expensive claims against your business.
Practical HR Advice, Straight to Your Inbox
Employment law updates, useful HR guidance and practical tips for managing people in small businesses.
Join the Kea Mailing List →
