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15th April 2010, Page 6
15th April 2010
Page 6
Page 6, 15th April 2010 — P EMPLOYMENT LAW
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Keywords : Labor, Law / Crime

Ex-Stiller Transport staff get tribunal green light

roger.hrownrarhi.co.uk AN EMPLOYMENT tribunal prehearing in Birmingham has given the go-ahead for seven former employees of Stiller Transport to bring claims for unfair dismissal against sister firm Stiller Tankers.

The case stems from the closure of Stiller 'transport. a division of the Stiller Group. last May.

The hearing heard that employees at its Bilston. West Midlands site received letters in the first week of May 2009 informing them the firm had ceased trading on I May. but that they should continue working until 15 May.

Anna Grange. who was employed as transport manager at Bilston. said workers veiere told they could continue to work at the operation from 18 May if they signed up with an employment agency on agency terms and conditions.

She said: "When myself and some drivers turned up on 18 May determined to work as normal, and were not signed with the agency. we were asked to leave."

Andrew Winney. director of Stiller Tankers and Stiller Warehousing &: Distribution, said that at the start of 2009 Stiller Transport had been losing 00,000 a week.

He told the tribunal that on 23 April 2009. in an effort to ensure creditors could be paid before Stiller Transport was closed down, Stiller TaiikeN paid 1500.000 for the :.issets of its sister company. These included 155 trailers, 18 shunt vehicles, contracts. goodwill, plant and machinery, as well as the debts. He added: "The group protected the creditors by use of legitimate and reasonable mechanisms to pay as much to them as possible."

Stiller Tankers later had its "select assets and customer relationships" purchased by Hargreaves Transport Services in October last year. Tribunal judge Karen Hindmarch held that there had been a transfer of assets from Stiller Transport to Stiller Tankers on 23 April.

She said Stiller Tankers must decide within 28 days whether it would mount a defence against the claimants' argument that their employment rights had also transferred to Stiller Tankers under TUFF.

Stiller Transport & Warehousing continues to trade.


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