Employment law cases in the news – 18.01.2016 to 24.01.2016

redmans-blog-newsIn the latest of our series of posts, we take a look at ten employment law cases that have made the news between 18 January 2016 and 24 January 2016

  1. Antrim man wins £20k unfair dismissal case against Walkers Crisps – An Industrial Tribunal has found that an Antrim man was forced to quit his job on the grounds of ill health due to a failure to provide him with a suitable vehicle to drive (Larne Times)
  2. Port operator fined after worker injured by capstan – An Essex maritime terminal worker suffered serious injury after his arm became wrapped around a powered capstan, while mooring an ocean-going vessel. Basildon Crown Court today imposed a fine of £1.8 million on port operator C.RO Ports London Limited, after the company plead guilty to safety offences that contributed to the incident (HSE)
  3. Doctor ‘sacked for whistleblowing’ should face fresh employment tribunal says judge – A doctor found to have been sacked by Croydon University Hospital for whistleblowing should face a second employment tribunal, a judge has ruled (Croydon Advertiser)
  4. Firm Sentenced after worker loses hand in machine – A Manchester waste plastic recycling firm has been fined after an employee’s hand was severed when dragged into a granulator machine. CP Plastics Limited was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an incident at Manchester New Rd, Middleton, Manchester on the 4 March 2015 (HSE)
  5. Bus driver unfairly sacked, rules Employment Tribunal – A bus driver has won his claim for unfair dismissal after an employment tribunal ruled the actions of Bus Vannin management had been ‘wholly disproportionate’. The tribunal heard that simmering tensions still exist between bus drivers following the bitter 2013 strike action (IOM Today)
  6. STUC faces race discrimination claim from former employee Zaffir Hakim – Scotland’s trade union body is facing claims of racial discrimination over the dismissal of an employee who worked within its anti-racism project. The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is being taken to an employment tribunal by a former member of staff of its One Workplace Equal Rights (OWER) project – a scheme specifically set up to tackle racism and discrimination in the workplace (Herald Scotland)
  7. Senior Co-op executive denies conflict of interest – The Co-operative Group’s chief operating officer has acknowledged to an employment tribunal a potential conflict of interest with her dual role as a highly paid consultant. Pippa Wicks was managing director of Alix Partners, a global consultancy, at the time she was recruited to rescue the troubled society from its financial black hole at £8,000 a day on a three-day week (The Times)
  8. Employee fairly dismissed after taking bribe contrary to Bribery Act 2010 – The dismissal of an immigration officer for taking a bribe was held to be fair by the employment tribunal. The employer was entitled to conclude that the honesty and integrity of the employee, who performed an important public function, was in doubt because she did not immediately report the bribe (XpertHR)
  9. Council facing £300,000 bullying claim bill now being sued for harassment by own councillor – A town council already facing a £300,000 bill to settle a bullying claim from an employee is now being sued for harassment by one of its own councillors. Solicitors acting for Labour councillor Mandy Thompson have written to Peterlee Town Council advising that the member for the Passfield ward is taking legal action for personal injury (The Northern Echo)
  10. Exmouth man wins ‘David v Goliath’ whistleblower case against Balfour Beatty – The UK’s largest construction contractor has paid out a six figure sum to a Devon whistleblower who accused the firm of fraudulently ripping off taxpayers in a multi million deal. The Welsh Government awarded the £18.5 million contract to Balfour Beatty to build an office building in Cardiff as part of a regeneration on a vacant site (The Exeter Express & Echo)