Hope for job changes
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by Karen Miles • Thousands of drivers who suffered wage cuts and worse working conditions when switching employers between 1981 and 1993 have the chance of compensation through the High Court.
The Transport and General Workers' Union, which is leading the attempt to sue the Government on behalf of its members, has welcomed the High Court decision to hear the case this summer, saying it represents a "jump over the first major hurdle".
Staff affected by work switching between private contractors, as well as Local government employees, who saw their work being taken over by private operators, could benefit.
The TGWU is heading its legal attack by arguing that the 40 dustbin men who were made redundant by Doncaster council in the late 80s and then immediately re-employed by Sitaclean, the private Dutch contractor, for lower wages, should be compensated for their losses.
The union, which is joint ly pursuing the High Court case of around 2,000 other members in conjunction with the public sector union UNISON and the GMB, expects the twoweek long hearing to take place in mid-summer, In the 1980s and early 1990s many companies switched to outside transport contractors to improve efficiency through the cutting of staff terms and conditions as well as huge swathes of local government contracting out their refuse collection under Compulsory Competitive Tendering.
The unions argue that when the Government introduced the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations in 1981 it failed to incorporate the European Community Acquired Rights directive properly. Its aim was to protect workers with changed employers.
In 1993 in the Trades Union Act the Government "rectified its mistakes", according to the TGWU, which is why the compensation claims end then.