Employment Tribunal cases in the news – 18.11.2013 to 24.11.2013

MoJIn the latest of our series of posts on employment tribunal cases in the news this week, we take a look at 10 employment tribunal cases that have made the news between 18 November 2013 and 24 November. his includes an MP who has won the latest round of his legal battle with a former worker, a nurse pursuing their former employer for race discrimination and a former teacher who was won almost £25,000 in her employment tribunal claim

  1. MP wins his case over worker’s dismissal – A man sacked by Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell after a confrontation with a colleague has had his case thrown out by the Court of Appeal. The protracted saga began when John Scott was dismissed as a parttime case worker for the Lib Dem MP in June 2009 (The Daily Gazette)
  2. Nurse takes Alexandra Hospital to industrial tribunal for race discrimination – A Redditch nurse alleged she could have been prevented from injury at the town’s Alexandra Hospital if the ward had been more adequately staffed (The Redditch & Alcester Advertiser)
  3. School fights racism allegations – A school in the London Borough of Enfield is fighting allegations that senior management racially discriminated against a staff member. Giving evidence at an employment tribunal in Watford, this morning school electrician Philip Dominique told the court that be believed he had been stopped from carrying out his full professional duties at Broomfield School in Wilmer Way, Arnos Grove, for three months as a result of “institutional racism which is systemic throughout the school” (North London Today)
  4. BBC Arabic tribunal defeat reveals more unrest – More details have emerged about the unrest at BBC Arabic after a broadcast journalist won an employment tribunal against the global news division. Ahmed Elsheikh proved that BBC managers blocked his promotion to senior broadcast journalist last year because of his activities as a father of chapel for the National Union of Journalists (Broadcast Now)
  5. Virgin Media worker sacked for gross misconduct after Christmas party – A works Christmas party ended in complaints, ill feeling and the sack for a woman employee who was accused of harassing and insulting colleagues. One employee complained she was called a “black bitch”, another woman was allegedly called a whore and a male colleague claimed he was sexually harassed (The Birmingham Mail)
  6. Council apologises to husband who was kept under surveillance – A Welsh council that has been criticised for keeping employees under surveillance has apologised to an ex-employee’s husband for keeping him under surveillance too. Kevin Shaw says he was outraged to discover that a firm hired by Caerphilly council to spy on his teacher wife Kim had also followed him (Wales Online)
  7. Former Tote staff could take Betfred to employment tribunal – Workers at the former Tote bookmakers, now owned by Betfred, could take their new employer to an employment tribunal over changes to their terms and conditions. Warrington-based Betfred, which bought the Wigan-based Tote in a deal worth £265m last year, is looking to bring the pay packets of the former Tote staff in line with the rest of the group (The Manchester Evening News)
  8. Factory staff ‘terrified’ of sacked bosses, tribunal told – Nightshift staff ‘lived in terror’ at a chicken factory where three workers were sacked amid claims they took cash bribes for jobs, a Birmingham employment tribunal was told (The Birmingham Mail)
  9. Former fire chief sues brigade for alleged age discrimination after missing out on top jobs as services merged – A former fire chief is taking his old bosses to a tribunal on grounds of alleged age discrimination. David Dalziel, 62, claims he was passed over for the top job at Scotland’s new single fire service because of his age (The Daily Record)
  10. Canterbury College ex-faculty head Helen Topliss wins £24,000 for unfair dismissal after tribunal – Canterbury College has been ordered to pay an ex-employee £24,888 after she won her case for unfair constructive dismissal (Kent Online)