A group of workers sacked by telephone have won an Employment Tribunal ruling that they were unfairly dismissed.
Up to 79 engineers working for Laurence Scott and Electromotors were dismissed by telephone in May 2007 as the company entered administration.
Those employees who did not receive the message and arrived at work the next day were turned away.
Half of the sacked workers were members of the Unite union, which won a default ruling against the firm for unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, holiday pay, unpaid pension contributions and contractual redundancy claims.
The 39 Unite members also won a ruling for a protective award claim for the company and the administrator’s failure to consult on the redundancies. A remedy hearing, where amounts of compensation will be awarded to individuals, is expected to take place at the Norwich Tribunal on 14 April.
Unite regional officer Mark Robinson said: “This default judgment is the first step on the road to getting our members justice and compensation for the unlawful treatment they suffered.”
Robinson said the ruling had no effect on the new ATB Laurence Scott which purchased the company a few weeks later, and indeed ATB has re-employed a number of the sacked workers.
“We are working closely with the new owner to help to ensure the future security and prosperity of ATB Laurence Scott,” he said.
