'Sacked' workers win

by John d'Arcy

Two Liverpool building workers last week won an interim reinstatement order from an employment tribunal after it was alleged that they had been unfairly sacked for attending UCATT's June conference in Bournemouth as official elected delegates.

Leaders of UCATT are hailing the ruling as a significant triumph for the rights of trade union representation.

George Guy, the union's north west regional secretary, commented: "This is a tremendous victory as far as we are concerned."

He said the two men had started work for Oldham-based Heyrod Construction on a Liverpool city centre hotel development at the beginning of June. Guy said: "I immediately wrote to Frank Gillespie, the company's managing director, explaining that the two had been elected as conference delegates and requesting that they be given unpaid time off to attend the conference."

Guy said he received no written reply.

Jim Ness, Heyrod's contracts director, told CJ the firm had lost a major contract it had expected to win and was letting staff go. "We made them redundant on the basis of failing to secure work in Manchester."

However, Guy thought this "was simply an excuse".

"We secured interim relief from the tribunal ordering the men's reinstatement," he said. "The chairman of the tribunal was utterly scathing in his comments about the employer."

Guy said an unfair dismissal claim was due to go before a full tribunal hearing in mid-August. In the meantime, the men had secured alternative employment with the company at a site near Liverpool airport.

Ness said: "What has happened is unfortunate. We've always had a good relationship with the union in the past. I believe there's been a misunderstanding. The hearing will decide."