Tribunal win for axed workforce

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Hundreds of workers who were axed from an electronics components factory without warning have been awarded about £800,000 in compensation.

More than 350 staff at the Irvine and Kilwinning factories of Simclar (Ayrshire) Ltd, have have won a minimum of eight weeks redundancy money.

An employment tribunal case ruled there should have been a mandatory 90 days consultation before the closure.

A government compensation scheme will pay for eight weeks of the 90 days.

It shouldn't be the taxpayer who has to pay for what happened when the parent company continue to make money Brian Donohoe MP

But workers will need to apply to the receivers for the rest of the cash.

Labour MP for Central Ayrshire Brian Donohoe insisted Simclar's parent company should be pursued for the employment tribunal awards.

Mr Donohue said Simclar (Ayrshire) Ltd's parent company had its headquarters in Dunfermline.

He said "It shouldn't be the taxpayer who has to pay for what happened when the parent company continue to make money.

"It is yet another example of a parent company reneging on its original obligations and leaving the taxpayer with the burden to pick up the tabs."

The tribunal case was brought by 191 workers who lost their jobs when the company closed down on 29 January.

All workers, some with 20 years' service, were given a written statement which said that the firm was stopping manufacturing at both Irvine and Kilwinning.

Protective award

It said they had been forced to do this as a result of pressure from low-cost economies, falling orders, and increased uncertainty within the Scottish manufacturing sector.

Workers claimed the news came without warning and that there had been no consultation of any sort with the workers or the Community union.

The Glasgow tribunal ruled the firm had failed to comply with the requirements to consult with the workforce and awarded a protective award in favour of all the workers for 90 days.

Tribunal chairman Michael MacMillan said there had been "no consultation whatsoever" and the company took no steps to comply with its obligations under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.