Drivers go to tribunal over Stobart's Stamford closure
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CM EXCLUSIVE U by Dominic Perry
More than 30 disgruntled ex-Eddie Stobart drivers are taking the high-profile haulier to an employment tribunal this week over allegations that the company did not act legally over the closure of a depot.
Stobart's Stamford, Lilacs, depot was shut last December with the loss of 65 driving jobs after Friskies pet foods, a major customer, moved its distribution centre from Wisbech to Hams Hall.
But 31 former employees are alleging that the company failed to enter into the 30-day consultation period required by law when it shut the facility and they are now seeking compensation.
Three drivers represented by the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) have already settled out of court on the issue; MG representative Mlan fiplady says that both sides reached an amicable settlement, but declined to give any figures. However, the settle
meat is rumoured to be roughly equivalent to four weeks' wages.
Former driver Gary Bradbury has been co-ordinating the drivers' action, which required each of them to fill in separate applications to the tribunal.
'At the time it was like finding that your wife had been sleeping with another man," says Bradbury, who collects Stobart models, "We'd been told all along that our jobs were safe. If I was Stobart and knew how hard all [the drivers] had been working for me over the years then I would just pay them rather than going to tribunal."
Another former driver, Chris Steele, says that they feel let down by Stobart's. "There was no consultation period and we were all long-serving drivers," he adds.
In a statement to Commercial Motor, the company says: "We made every effort to avoid the redundancies at Stamford and we held one-to-one interviews with employees affected. Attempts were made to find alternative work, and this resulted in 20 employees transferring to our depot at DIRFT, Northamptonshire.
"Redundancy is a very regrettable situation and in each case we make every effort to minimise the impact, carry out effective consultation with employees, help them find alternative work and support them."
• As CM went to press tribunal proceedings were set to get under way.