D Belshaw and others v Testerworld Ltd (In Administration) and Secretary of State for Business and Trade: 2501273/2022 and others
EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS
Case No 2501273/2022
Between
D Belshaw and others (see schedule)ClaimantTesterworld Limited (in administration) Rule 96 party: Secretary of State for Business and TradeRespondentDate 17 October 2023
JUDGMENT
Employment Tribunals Rules of Procedure 2013 – Rule 21[1]The claimants’ claims that the respondent failed to comply with the requirements of section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 in respect of their dismissals are well founded.[2]The Tribunal orders the respondent, by way of protective award under section 189(3) of the 1992 Act, to pay to each of the claimants a payment equivalent to remuneration for the period of 90 days beginning on 9 May 2022. Recoupment[3]The Employment Protection (Recoupment of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support) Regulations 1996 apply to these awards. In each case the protected period is the period of 90 days beginning on 9 May 2022.
REASONS
[1]Each of the claimants named in the schedule has made a complaint under section 189 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 on the ground that the respondent failed to comply with a requirement of section 188 in respect of his or her dismissal. The respondent company’s administrators have given consent for the claims to continue.[2]The respondent has not presented a response to the claims.[3]I have decided that a determination can properly be made of the claimants’ complaints on the available material.[4]On the available material I am satisfied of the following.a. As at 9 May 2022 the respondent was proposing to dismiss as redundant at each of the following sites/depots, within a period of 90 days or less, 20 or more employees who were assigned to carry out their duties at the respective site/depot: i. its depot/site at Shortwood Business Park, Barnsley; ii. its depot/site at Low Prudhoe Industrial Estate, Prudhoe; iii. its depot/site at Trafford Park; iv. its depot/site at Rokeby Court, Runcorn; v. its depot/site at Hainge Park, Tividale, Oldbury; and vi. its depot/site at Waterglade Industrial Estate, West Thurrock.b. The claimants were employees of the respondent who may be affected by the proposed dismissals. They were assigned to carry out their duties at one of the sites/depots listed above. They were dismissed as redundant on 9 May 2022.c. For the purposes of section 188 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, each of the respondent’s depots/sites listed above was either an establishment in itself or it was part of a larger unit constituting an establishment. In order to determine the claimants’ claims it is unnecessary for me to decide which of those possibilities was in fact the case.d. The respondent was required to consult about the dismissals all the persons who were appropriate representatives of any of the employees who may be affected by the proposed dismissals or may be affected by measures taken in connection with those dismissals: section 188 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. For the purposes of the consultation, the respondent was required to disclose in writing to the appropriate representatives the information set out at section 188(4) of the Act.e. The claimants were not employees of a description in respect of which an independent trade union was recognised by the respondent.f. There were no employee representatives appointed or elected by the affected employees otherwise than for the purposes of section 188, who had authority from those employees to receive information and to be consulted about the proposed dismissals on their behalf.g. There were no employee representatives elected by the affected employees, for the purposes of section 188, in an election satisfying the requirements of section 188A(1). The respondent did not invite the affected employees to elect such representatives.h. The claimants are entitled to make a complaint under section 189 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 on the ground that the respondent failed to comply with a requirement of section 188.i. The respondent failed to comply with the requirements of section 188 in respect of the claimants’ dismissals.j. The respondent has not shown that there were special circumstances which rendered it not reasonably practicable for the employer to comply with any requirement of section 188.k. Each of the complaints was presented to the tribunal within the period of three months beginning with the date on which the claimant’s dismissal took effect (taking into account section 292A).[5]The claimants’ complaints under s189 are well founded.[6]I have determined that it is appropriate to make a protective award under section 189.[7]In determining the length of the protected period I have had regard to the seriousness of the employer’s default in complying with the requirements of section 188 and borne in mind guidance given in the case of GMB v Susie Radin Ltd [2004] EWCA Civ 180, [2004] IRLR 400.[8]I am satisfied on the material available that this a case where there has been no consultation at all in relation to the proposed dismissals and there are no mitigating circumstances. Therefore, it is just and equitable that the length of the protected period in the case of each claimant should be the maximum of 90 days. Employment Judge Aspden Date: 17 October 2023 Schedule of claimants 2501273/2022 Diane Belshaw and 2501274/2022 2501275/2022 Marc Payne 2501276/2022 Michelle Gleed 2501277/2022 Kirsty Tambini 2501278/2022 Yvonne Walton 2501279/2022 Ian Haworth 2501280/2022 Jessica Stables 2501281/2022 James Crowther 2501282/2022 Neil Candy 2501283/2022 Baljit Hundal 2501284/2022 Stephen Round 2501285/2022 Jaktar Mann 2501286/2022 Rayhun Choudhury 2501287/2022 Shahale Little 2501289/2022 Oliver Hill 2501293/2022 Victoria Best 2501296/2022 Stephen Piggott 2501297/2022 Paul Walters 2501298/2022 Paul Barrow 2501299/2022 Scott Walters 2501300/2022 Saul Yarbasi 2501302/2022 Daniela Rasteanu 2501303/2022 Sylwia Melon 2501304/2022 Costel Iulian Birsa 2501305/2022 Carmen Nicoleta Birsa 2501306/2022 Kamila Nowak 2501307/2022 Ioan Adrian Borza 2501308/2022 Ecaterina Apostu 2501309/2022 Anna Hryckiewicz 2501310/2022 John Cochlin 2501311/2022 Pawel Sobieski 2501312/2022 Alexandru-cristian Tudoran 2501313/2022 Madalina Andreea Rotaru 2501314/2022 Mioara Apreutesei 2501317/2022 Mihaela Dinu 2501318/2022 Karl Brodie 2501319/2022 Ioana Caprar 2501320/2022 Andreea-Loredana Dragnea 2501321/2022 Andreea Madalina Ene 2501322/2022 Gary Snowball 2501323/2022 Kylie Sherriff 2501324/2022 Ellis Hine 2501325/2022 Danny Oughton 2501326/2022 Lana O'hara 2501327/2022 Simeon Brown 2501328/2022 Andrei Izdrescu 2501329/2022 Chantell Bennett 2501330/2022 Volha Maisak Kosior 2501331/2022 Lynn Gration 2501332/2022 Louise Whittington 2501333/2022 Gina-Simona Catrinoiu 2501334/2022 Liam Keates 2501335/2022 Florentina Stoian 2501336/2022 Anthony Brindley 2501337/2022 Antony Savage 2501339/2022 Michael Hall 2501344/2022 Mike Myers 2501345/2022 Glenn Sheerin 2501346/2022 Eddie Booth 2501347/2022 Paul Marsh 2501349/2022 Manole Toma 2501350/2022 Summer Coneley 2501351/2022 Sophie Low 2501352/2022 Nitin Patel 2501353/2022 Claire Marshall 2501355/2022 Lee Smith 2501356/2022 Kristine Valte 2501357/2022 Magdalena Szymczak 2501359/2022 Natalja Gorska 2501360/2022 Linda Gravele 2501362/2022 Ewa Zylinska 2501363/2022 Mark Jeffryes 2501366/2022 Andrew Hope 2501367/2022 Ravinder Shinmar 2501368/2022 Olivia Benson 2501370/2022 Dave Markland 2501373/2022 Mina Patel 2501375/2022 Danny Shields 2501376/2022 Lisa Shields 2501378/2022 Radu Caprar 2501379/2022 Voicu Mogosan 2501380/2022 Christopher Howard 2501381/2022 Vicki Gulson 2501383/2022 Kerry-anne Wilson 2501384/2022 Niculina Chirla 2501385/2022 Rachael Dorrell 2501386/2022 Ricky Gulson 2501387/2022 Jonathan Hall 2501388/2022 Alexander Urmston 2501389/2022 Steven Ward 2501390/2022 Shahnoor Miah 2501391/2022 Dorin Dinescu 2501394/2022 Jay Berry 2501396/2022 Mariola Szolkowska 2501397/2022 Leslie Pulman 2501398/2022 MalGorzata Glowacka 2501400/2022 Aleksandra Maslowska 2501401/2022 Mark Hanna 2501404/2022 Andrea Stoean 2501405/2022 Kevin Senior 2501407/2022 Jonathan Bell 2501408/2022 Marina-Alina Irimia 2501409/2022 Richard Freedman 2501410/2022 David Floyd 2501411/2022 William Raine 2501413/2022 Tony Reeves 2501414/2022 Trevor Walker 2501415/2022 Sylwia Pawelczyk 2501416/2022 Salik Miah 2501417/2022 Christopher Frain 2501418/2022 Raymond Taylor 2501419/2022 Abigail Keers 2501421/2022 Christie Fletcher 2501424/2022 Michelle Clark 2501425/2022 Tracey Matthews 2501426/2022 Ben Jones 2501427/2022 Mihail Temelakiev 2501429/2022 Steven Marlowe 2501430/2022 Martin Dyer 2501431/2022 Sharon Fox 2501432/2022 Elizabeth Harbidge 2501433/2022 Trevor Barker 2501436/2022 Joseph Dixon 2501437/2022 Paul Hill 2501438/2022 Leslie Bestford 2501439/2022 Richard Sherwin 2501440/2022 Lee Phenix-Naretti 2501442/2022 John Batey 2501444/2022 Gary Lanaway 2501445/2022 Diane Batey 2501446/2022 Kevin Urwin 2501447/2022 Julie Gosling 2501450/2022 Raymond Wilkinson 2501451/2022 Jurgita Juskelyte 2501452/2022 Carmen Cristina Draghici 2501453/2022 Anthony Greenville 2501454/2022 Mohammed Adjei 2501456/2022 Dinh Vu 2501457/2022 Kevin Williams 2501458/2022 Mark Newton 2501459/2022 Stephen Brady 2501460/2022 Kevin Walker 2501461/2022 Ashley Duffy 2501463/2022 Paul Marshall 2501465/2022 Stacey Lee 2501466/2022 Tajinder Nahal 2501467/2022 Nicola Ross 2501468/2022 Gillian Thompson 2501471/2022 Chelsea Robson 2501472/2022 Nick Howe 2501473/2022 Terence Cullen 2501474/2022 Andrew Williams 2501475/2022 Toni Fitzgerald 2501476/2022 Ryan Shakeshaft 2501477/2022 Lynn Worrall 2501478/2022 Neil Griffiths 2501479/2022 Ashley Slater 2501480/2022 Alexandra Montgomery 2501481/2022 Elzbieta Domanska 2501483/2022 Carmen Espejo 2501484/2022 Doreen West 2501485/2022 Mariusz Ciupinski 2501486/2022 Penelope Smith 2501488/2022 Adam Smith 2501489/2022 Terry Whitehouse 2501490/2022 Kim Bell 2501492/2022 Keyleigh Morrison 2501493/2022 James Mutch 2501494/2022 Kieran Mckeever 2501496/2022 Lewis Fenlon 2501497/2022 Aneta Piotrowska 2501498/2022 Diana Todorova 2501501/2022 Helen Frith 2501502/2022 John Indriks 2501503/2022 Katie Parker 2501504/2022 Steven Miller 2501507/2022 Lanre Adeniyi 2501508/2022 Matthew Cuthbert 2501509/2022 Barbara Konieczna 2501510/2022 Dave Hargate 2501511/2022 Michael Robson