Ms A Kelsey and Others v Rutherford Cancer Care Ltd (in compulsory liquidation) and Others: 1308610/2022 and Others
JUDGMENT
[1]The claims by the Claimants listed in the attached ‘Master Schedule’ against the Respondents listed in that schedule under section 189 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (‘the Act’) for failure to comply with section 188 and section 188A of the Act are well-founded and succeed.[2]The Tribunal makes a protective award under section 189 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 in favour of the Claimants listed in the Schedule attached (“Schedule 1”) against the Respondents listed in that schedule.[3]The protected period begins on 13 June 2022. The Respondents are ordered to pay remuneration to the Claimants in the Master Schedule for the protected period which:a. 85 days in respect of those employees identified on the schedule as being employed by ‘Rutherford Cancer Care Limited’ and ‘Rutherford Health Plc’.b. 75 days in respect of those employees identified on the schedule as being employed by ‘Rutherford Diagnostics Limited’.[4]The Employment Protection (Recoupment of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support) Regulations 1996 (‘the Regulations’) apply to the protective award.REASONS
[1]By individual claim forms presented on various dates, the Claimants brought claims for a protective award under s.188 and s.189 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (‘Protective Award’) in respect of breach of the collective consultation requirements.[2]As the Respondent companies were in administration, all claims were stayed by the Employment Tribunal, pending the Claimants obtaining permission to proceed with their claims from the High Court.[3]By various orders, over time, the High Court granted the Claimants permission to proceed with their claims in the Employment Tribunal.[4]The Liquidators were appointed on 3rd February 2023. A protective draft response was put in on 14th February 2023, along with an application to extend time.[5]In other cases, the ‘Valemus cases’, on 17th March 2023, the Liquidators wrote to the Tribunal attaching an amended Response. In that Response the Liquidators conceded liability in respect of the claims but reserved the right to make submissions in respect of the length of the protected period.[6]The Liquidators’ concessions in those other cases, and the strike out of the responses in these cases, are enough in themselves for a default judgment to be given in this case. However, as the Secretary of State is an interested party, the Tribunal has nonetheless gone on to consider whether the Claimants have established their claims for a protected award.[7]I am satisfied that: 7.1. With the exception of the claimants identified in paragraph 8 and the employees identified in paragraph 9 below, each of the Claimants in column B/C of the Master Schedule was employed by the particular Respondent identified in column E of that schedule at the branch/site identified in column F. 7.2. the relevant Respondent employed over 20 employees at each branch/site. 7.3. the relevant Respondent proposed to and/or dismissed as redundant 20 or more employees at the site / establishment identified in column F. 7.4. That there were no appropriate representatives within the meaning of section 188(1B)(a) or (b) at any of the sites. 7.5. That the relevant Respondent each failed to comply with its statutory obligations under section 188A of the Act (relating to the election of appropriate representatives). 7.6. That the relevant Respondent each failed to comply with its statutory collective consultation obligations under section 188 of the Act at the establishments in respect of the workforce employed there.[8]The claimants referred to in paragraph 7.1 above are those whose claims have been struck out, namely: 8.1. Alan Beck [1309533/2022] - Row 1 of the Master Schedule 8.2. Abbey Kelsey [1308610] - Row 3 of the Master Schedule 8.3. Mandy de la Nougerede [1309547/2022] - Row 13 of the Master Schedule 8.4. Thomas Crocker [1309432/2022] - Row 49 of the Master Schedule 8.5. Julie Hackett [1309443/2022] - Row 57 of the Master Schedule: 8.6. Ron Russell [1309441] - Row 64 of the Master Schedule 8.7. Eleftherios Zabatis [1309444/2022] - Row 67 of the Master Schedule 8.8. Amanda Hegarty [1309460/2022] - Row 111 of the Master Schedule 8.9. Linda Wickens [1309531/2022] - Row 114 of the Master Schedule[9]The employees referred to in paragraph 7.1 above are: 9.1. Beth Brook – Row 110 of the Master Schedule. 9.2. Jane Singer-Brennan – Row 139 of the Master Schedule[10]I make a protective award in favour of the remaining Claimants identified on the Master Schedule on the same terms as those claimants in the ‘Valemus cases’ (2408605/2022 & others), as regards their respective employers.[11]That is, in respect of 11.1. Employees of Rutherford Cancer Care Limited: 85 days 11.2. Employees of Rutherford Health Plc: 85 days 11.3. Employees of Rutherford Diagnostics Limited: 75 days Employment Judge Sweeney Date: 04 February 2026 MASTER SENT TO PARTIES WITH JUDGMENT BUT NOT ATTACHED HERETO Employment Claimant - Claimant - Respondent Tribunal Case Forename Surname (in Liquidation) Number 1309539/2022 Mark Crocker Rutherford Health Plc. 1309536/2022 Derek Portsmouth Rutherford Health Plc. 1309532/2022 Adrian Scott Rutherford Health Plc. 1309534/2022 Christopher White Rutherford Health Plc. 1309553/2022 Kayleigh Adey Rutherford Health Plc. 1309543/2022 Rosalind Bainbridge Rutherford Health Plc. 1309554/2022 Laura Beddoe Rutherford Health Plc. 1309542/2022 Kais Boussadia Rutherford Health Plc. 1309557/2022 Jonathan Desmond Rutherford Health Plc. 1309548/2022 Kevin Dooley Rutherford Health Plc. 1309552/2022 Nicholas Fownes Rutherford Health Plc. 1309551/2022 Stephen Grey Rutherford Health Plc. 1309555/2022 James Harrison Rutherford Health Plc. 1309556/2022 Hollie Kerrigan Rutherford Health Plc. 1309540/2022 Andrew Leonard Rutherford Health Plc. 1309550/2022 Nathan Levey Rutherford Health Plc. 1309541/2022 Leah McCarthy Rutherford Health Plc. 1309544/2022 Neil Pether Rutherford Health Plc. 1309558/2022 Rebecca Richards Rutherford Health Plc. Rurtherford Health 1309461/2022 Michael Leonard PLC 1600812/2022 Michael Sparrey Rutherford Health Plc. 1600814/2022 Martyn Umpleby Rutherford Health Plc. 1600815/2022 Steven Birring Rutherford Health Plc. 1600817/2022 Benvitta Sharma Rutherford Health Plc. 1600822/2022 Darran Fenaroli Rutherford Health Plc. 1600825/2022 Andrei Lawrence Rutherford Health Plc. 1309535/2022 Daniel Kirby 1309549/2022 Charlotte Cotterell 1309525/2022 Michelle Atkinson 1309521/2022 Kathryn Burr 1309513/2022 Ami Foster 1309524/2022 Lorraine Jones 1309517/2022 Caroline McDermott 1309516/2022 Ashleigh McDonald 1309559/2022 Luke Murray 1309528/2022 Angela Perry 1309522/2022 Leah Pratt 1309530/2022 Danica Slinn 1309526/2022 Nicola Turnbull 1309429/2022 Edward Chester 1309449/2022 Stephanie cleaver 1309446/2022 Katie Cooke 1309430/2022 Patrick Davidson 1309456/2022 Spike Dickens 1309457/2022 Kamran Fathi 1309433/2022 Katie Feeley 1309463/2022 Angela Furlong 1309447/2022 Charlotte Geer 1309439/2022 Ruth Glenn 1309452/2022 Yogesh Jagannath Hatage 1309451/2022 Claire Jago 1309458/2022 Mark Masters-Walsh 1309445/2022 Janine Melia-moran 1309459/2022 Christopher Rose 1309431/2022 Diane Rushbrooke 1309450/2022 Aaron Sait 1309453/2022 Helen Wilkinson 1309492/2022 Emma Bigley 1309467/2022 Josephine Clorley 1309477/2022 Teresa Cruickshank 1309473/2022 John Davies 1309489/2022 Laura Davies 1309482/2022 Lucy Davies 1309483/2022 Andrew Evans 1309480/2022 Lloyd Evans 1309470/2022 Maria Evans 1309468/2022 Yit Fong Chan 1309475/2022 Ceri Hamilton 1309478/2022 Robin Heap 1309486/2022 Denise Jennings 1309471/2022 Jamil Lambert 1309496/2022 Joanne Lancaster 1309490/2022 Rachelle Leake 1309488/2022 Rebecca Livall 1309474/2022 Ceri lord 1309497/2022 Samantha Miles 1309479/2022 Ceri Moger 1309469/2022 Nia Moralee 1309476/2022 Sarah Motherway 1309485/2022 Ellie Nicholas 1309464/2022 Karen O'Neill 1309465/2022 Fleman Patrice Aka 1309472/2022 Matthew James Powell 1309484/2022 Bethan Puxty 1309481/2022 Tamsin Rees 1309494/2022 Mehdi Saberi 1309466/2022 Ffion Watkins 2502620/2023 Kay Wilson 1309499/2022 Amanda Anstey 1309505/2022 Francesca Fiorini 1309504/2022 Debbie Friel 1309501/2022 Asadulla Khan 1309510/2022 Steven Murphy 1309509/2022 Mark Osborne 1309508/2022 Kate Parry 1309507/2022 John Pettingell 1309538/2022 Lucie Planner 1309503/2022 Chantelle Taylor 1309500/2022 Amanda Tomich-Warwick Rutherford Diagnostics 1309434/2022 Anthony Mathews Limited