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Free to 1 isten
Page 40
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/avid Craik joins a fictional driver on his hunt for free legal advice.
driver has just been sacked by his boss because he refused to carry a load up ) Manchester one evening. The :.ason? He said he had a severe iigraine and wanted to go home ) get better. Rather than show oncern, the employer showed im the door.
The driver has heard from a 2.lative that he might be able to lake a claim for unfair dismissal gainst his boss. But he does not ,ant to spend money going to solicitor, especially after his ismissal. Is it possible to receive ie legal advice he needs for free? One place to start is the :ommunity Legal Service Direct • ebsite (www.clsdirect.org.uk). he CLS is part of the Legal ervices Commission (LSC) 'hich looks after legal aid in ,ngland and Wales. The Scottish quivalent is the Scottish Legal ,id Board (www.slab.org.uk). his system is designed to give eople the information and advice ley need about their legal rights nd help with enforcing them. Logging onto the CLS website ill allow the driver to see a illection of free legal information :aflets.One of these. Employment. xplains what can be done if you think you ave been treated unfairly. It informs you that Du can issue a claim against your employer id take the case loan Employment Tribunal, id shows you how to do so.
The driver can also use the CLS Legal Advice lirectory, also on the website, which reveals here you can find an LSC-funded provider of gal aid. Some of these will be able to offer basic 1vice and represent you at Tribunals; others T only funded to act in court proceedings.Ask roviders exactly what they offer; while most ilicitors will charge for their services,they may ffer a free period of consultation. The granting of legal aid primarily depends on your personal finances income and capital. You can't apply for legal aid from the CLS this is done through a solicitor but you can work out your eligibility via the website.
Union advice
Perhaps the driver is a member of a union. If so,he will be entitled to advice from a solicitor on a range of issues including his employment rights and his claim for unfair dismissal. Most unions also offer a free confidential legal helpline for members.
The exact services vary from union to union; if our driver is in the Transport & General Workers Union (T&G) he will also have access to personal legal services and will be entitled to 30 minutes' free legal advice from a union solicitor on issues such as housing problems or divorce.
Members of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) can receive advice from regional managers and helpdesks.
Both the T&C1 and the RHA charge membership fees, so describing such advice as 'free' is open to interpretation.
Free advice can also be found
on employment law websites. One is www.freeemploymentlawadvice.com which gives a general run-down on problems relating to unfair dismissal, then offers the chance to take the matter further via a "free-of-charge consultation with a qualified employment lawyer-. Another site -wwwireelawyenco.uk offers basic information on unfair dismissal but ends with solicitors' prices if readers want to take their concerns further.
If the driver does not have a computer, a trip to his local Citizens Advice Bureau could be useful for gaining legal advice. His local council could also help with free advice. •