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Play fair and avoid tribunals

4th July 1996, Page 29
4th July 1996
Page 29
Page 29, 4th July 1996 — Play fair and avoid tribunals
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Iwas a little surprised to see your advice when faced with Industrial Tribunal action (Employment Bulletin CM 20-26 June) as "bluff it or fight it".

Surely much better advice is that if you are a decent employer and abide by employment legislation, you will never lose a tribunal.

As a TGWU official, this year alone I have succeeded in winning or settling some 12 cases against local hauliers on behalf of our members, and three times as many were only resolved after the threat of tribunal action.

The complaints ranged from unlawful deduction from wages of £75 to pay for ..ADR training, to unfair dismissal resulting in .C8,500 compensation.

But the common thread was that they were all

avoidable if only the employer had used proper procedures and consulted staff and the union.

Your message to all haulage employers should be "get your ad together and treat your workers properly".

Maybe then they save themselves and the taxpayer (who funds the tribunal service) an awful lot of valuable time and money. Jennie Sandie, Transport and (Teneral Workers Union.